language has been changed

Question

I need my outlook account on my computer to have the language set back to English, how do i do this when i cannot read language it is set in from hacker

Answer 1

Hi Bonnie Burr Ladage,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand how frustrating this situation can be, especially when the Outlook interface language was changed unexpectedly and you cannot read the current language to switch it back to English.

I see that there is already a Q&A Assist answer in this thread. The guidance provided there is generally correct for changing language settings. Have you had a chance to try those steps yet? I would like to add some practical information below that may help specifically when the interface language is unreadable.

For Classic Outlook for Windows, the display language is primarily controlled by Windows and Office settings. You can rely on icons, menu position, and keyboard shortcuts, rather than reading the text:

1. Close Outlook completely.
2. Open Windows Settings by pressing Windows key + I on the keyboard.
3. In Settings, select Time & Language (this option uses a globe icon, which appears the same in all languages).
4. Select Language & Region (usually the first or second option in the left pane).
5. Under Windows display language, choose English. If English is not listed, use the Add language option (plus icon), add English, and set it as the display language.
6. Sign out of Windows when prompted, then sign back in.
7. Reopen Outlook and check whether the interface is now displayed in English.

If Windows is already set to English but Outlook itself is still showing another language, you can still access Outlook’s language settings even if you cannot read the text:

• Open Outlook.
• Click File (this is always the first tab on the ribbon, regardless of language).
• In the left pane, select the last option (this is Options, even if the wording is unreadable).
• In the Options window, select the Language section (usually the second or third item in the left menu).

To make this easier, you may temporarily use:

• A phone camera with Microsoft Translator or Google Translate (camera mode), or
• The Translate feature in Microsoft Edge if you can capture or view the menu on screen

Once in the Language section, set English as both the display language and authoring language, then restart Outlook.

If this language change occurred without your action, it would also be a good idea to review recent sign‑in activity and update the account password after you regain access, to ensure the account is secure.

I hope this clarifies how to switch Outlook back to English even when the current interface language is difficult to read.

---

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.    

Answer 2

Use Windows and Outlook language settings to switch everything back to English, even if the current language is unreadable.

1. Change Windows display language to English (so menus become readable):
   • Press Windows + I to open Settings.
   • Select the clock icon section (Time & Language).
   • Select the globe icon (Language & Region).
   • In the top drop-down (Windows display language), choose English.
   • If English is not listed, add it using the button with a plus sign, then set it as the display language.
   • Sign out and sign back in if prompted.
2. Change Outlook.com/Outlook on the web language back to English:
   • In a browser, sign in to Outlook.com.
   • Select the gear icon (Settings) in the upper-right corner.
   • At the bottom of the settings pane, select the link that opens full settings (it may be the last item).
   • Look for a section with a globe icon or a word similar to “Language” and open it.
   • In the language list, select English (for example, “English (United States)” or “English (United Kingdom)”).
   • Save the change; Outlook should reload in English.
3. If the Microsoft account language was changed:
   • Go to the Microsoft account profile page: Open language settings.
   • Sign in, then change the display language to English.
4. If OneDrive or other Microsoft services also show the wrong language:
   • Sign in to OneDrive: Sign in to your OneDrive account.
   • Select Settings, then change the display language to English.

If a hacker changed these settings, also immediately change the account password and review security information and sign-in activity to secure the account.

---

References:

• Check or change language settings