Hotmail(outlook) email page has headers that changed languages and I can understand how to change it back as its all in another language!

Question

Hotmail(outlook) email page has headers that changed languages and I can understand how to change it back as its all in another language!

Ben Bradshaw 20

I think I have been hacked and the Outlook page has now changed languages in some area and I can't navigate my email currently

sam wiley 0 Reputation points

2025-09-15T15:04:42.7+00:00

I'm having the exact same problem Ben and it's been a nightmare afternoon so you have my sympathies. I'm having to go to a friend's who has auto translate on her phone camera so she can translate each heading for me and figure out where the rules part is. If we're able to find out I'll post again. Mine is in Chinese too although recent activity shows my email is being accessed from around the world
e c 0 Reputation points

2026-06-26T23:47:46.2966667+00:00

This didn't change the headers (inbox, sent, junk and etc...)

any ideas on how to fix this?
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Answer accepted by question author

Chloe-V 12,610 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi Ben Bradshaw,

Since you cannot read anything on the Outlook page right now, let me guide you purely by icons and menu positions, so you do not need to understand the language at all.

Step-by-Step Fix (Even If Language Looks Like Chinese):

Step 1. Open Settings

Go to Outlook web and sign in.
In the top right corner, click the ⚙️ gear icon (Settings).

Step 2. In the General menu on the left column, click Language and time.

This is usually the second option right under “General.”

Step 3. On the right side of the screen, you will see the Language section*.*

Step 4. Click the language dropdown box and scroll down to find English (United States) or your preferred language.

Step 5. Scroll to the bottom and click Save to apply.

Step 6. Refresh the page, and Outlook will display in the language you selected.

I will provide English instruction images so that you can compare them with the Chinese Outlook interface and make the corrections.

User's image

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

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Please feel free to let me know if you have any further updates, thanks.

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sam wiley 0 Reputation points

2025-09-15T15:04:42.7+00:00

I'm having the exact same problem Ben and it's been a nightmare afternoon so you have my sympathies. I'm having to go to a friend's who has auto translate on her phone camera so she can translate each heading for me and figure out where the rules part is. If we're able to find out I'll post again. Mine is in Chinese too although recent activity shows my email is being accessed from around the world
e c 0 Reputation points

2026-06-26T23:47:46.2966667+00:00

This didn't change the headers (inbox, sent, junk and etc...)

any ideas on how to fix this?
Deleted

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.

Answer 1

Hi Ben Bradshaw,

Thank you for posting to Microsoft Q&A Forum.I would like to provide you with step-by-step guidance to change your Outlook (Hotmail) display language back to your preferred one and also ensure your account security.

1. Change Language Directly in Outlook.com

Sign in to Outlook.com
In the top right corner, click the Settings icon.
In the left panel, choose General > Language and time.
Under Language (Country/Region), select English (or your desired language).
Click Save and refresh the page.

On mobile, please open Outlook.com in your browser, switch to Desktop site, and follow the same steps.

2. Change Language via Microsoft Account

Go to account.microsoft.com account.microsoft.com, sign in, and update your Language settings. This will apply to Outlook and other Microsoft services.

3. Check Account Security (Recommended)

Since you mentioned possible hacking, please also:

Review your Recent activity in Microsoft Security to check for unusual logins.
Go to the Security section in your Microsoft account and choose Change password.
Enable Two-step verification for stronger protection.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Please feel free to let me know if you have any further updates, thanks.

Ben Bradshaw 20 Reputation points

2025-09-08T12:38:48.34+00:00

This was unhelpful as the language all the tabs are now in another language which I dont understand. I think its Chinese...? So when you give directions to click on this and open a tab nothing is legible to me as I dont understand the drop downs(tabs )