Jun 10, 2023
Change Google maps language back to English
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Google Maps automatically takes you to a country domain and shows place names in a country’s local languages. You can change a country domain or language by using Google Maps.
Google Maps automatically shows place names in a country’s local languages, but on your computer, you can change your map language.
- On your computer, open Google Maps.
- In the top left, click Menu
.
- Choose Language.
- Select a language. Map labels will be shown in your country’s local language, but you’ll find place information in the language you selected.
- Optional: Learn how to change your language for all Google products.
.Google Maps automatically takes you to a country domain (the Google Maps URL address in your browser) and map view based on your location. Google Maps works with many country domains, like .de or .jp.
If your domain is wrong or you want to go to .com, you can change it in your settings.
- On your computer, open Google Maps.
- In the bottom right corner, click the country name that's displayed (for example,
United StatesorUnited Kingdom). - You'll find the Search Settings screen. Under "Region Settings," pick the country you want.
- At the bottom, click Save.
When you navigate to a place using a mobile device, you can change the voice and language of the spoken directions.
Note: After you change the navigation language, you’ll hear how soon to turn, but not the names of roads.
- On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app
.
- Tap your profile picture or initial
Settings.
- Tap Navigation settings
- Choose a voice and language.
Settings.Jun 10, 2023
Just after I started to exit the parking area, I drove by a Kia Sportage, and said something about it. I rarely use voice commands, but my Pixel 6 for some reason interpreted that as one, and an app I'm not familiar with opened and said "showing matching pictures," and displayed some pictures of Kia Sportages. I made some remark about not having asked Google to respond, and thought nothing more of it.
It was a few minutes after that when the maps app started giving voice directions that I realized it was in an unrecognized language. It doesn't sound like Spanish, or any other language I've heard before. I don't know whether the Sportage pictures and the language change are related, but often when two very unusual things happen back to back, they are related.
After finishing the trip, I started trying to troubleshoot it. I checked the main setting for language on the Pixel 6, and confirmed it is set to English. I found a setting for language within the maps app, and changed it from system default to English. It didn't seem like that would make any difference, but I have found with computers before that sometimes just making a change to something else that should give the same result works. It didn't in this case. I tried updating the maps app, but the unrecognized language in the vocal navigation instructions remained the same.
I then tried some voice questions to Google on the Pixel 6 without much luck. Finally, the one thing that sounded like it might have a chance to work was when it suggested a way to change voice instructions during navigation that was different than changing the system language or the app language. However, that method requires tapping on a profile photo or initial in the Google maps app to bring up a navigation menu, and I have no profile photo or initial in the app.
I am hoping I can get this fixed quickly, because I will soon be driving some routes I am not familiar with. I suppose I could try uninstalling Google maps and then downloading it and reinstalling it. I'd rather not, because in addition to not knowing if that would work, I don't know if that would delete all of my saved places, or if those are stored by Google and would be retained.