It can be frustrating when you suddenly notice your Facebook feed has changed to a different language, especially one you don’t understand. Chinese showing up on Facebook when your language is set to English is a common complaint among users. The good news is there are a few simple steps you can take to change your Facebook feed back to your preferred language.
Possible Causes
There are a few possible reasons why your Facebook feed may have suddenly switched to Chinese:
- You accidentally changed your language setting
- Your account was hacked
- It’s a glitch in the Facebook app or website
Let’s explore each of these in more detail:
You Accidentally Changed the Language Setting
One of the most common reasons for Facebook to show another language is because the language setting was accidentally changed. This can happen in a few different ways:
- Clicking on a language link or button on Facebook
- Using Facebook’s language selector dropdown menu in your account settings
- Interacting with something in another language that triggered Facebook to switch
If you notice the change right away, you may recall accidentally clicking on something before the language switched. However, since the change often happens without warning, you might not realize what triggered it.
Your Account was Hacked
While less common, another possibility is that your account was hacked and the language settings were intentionally changed by the hacker. Signs your Facebook may have been hacked include:
- Posts you didn’t create appearing in your feed
- Chat messages you didn’t send
- New friends you don’t know being added
If you notice any suspicious activity beyond just the language change, you should secure your account immediately and watch for other issues.
A Facebook Glitch
It’s also possible that the Chinese characters showing up are due to a glitch and your language was never actually changed. Facebook bugs resulting in temporary language mix-ups are not unheard of. The language setting may still show English, even though Chinese text is displaying.
How to Change Facebook Language Back to English
If your Facebook feed is stuck in Chinese, here are the steps to change it back to English:
- Click on the account menu (down arrow icon) in the top right
- Select “Settings & Privacy”
- Click on “Settings”
- Choose “Language and Region” under the General Account Settings
- Ensure “English (US)” or your preferred English dialect is selected as the language
This will override any incorrect language settings and restore your Facebook feed to English. You may need to fully log out and back in again for the change to take effect.
If adjusting the language setting does not resolve the issue, the problem may be due to one of the other reasons covered earlier. Continue reading for additional troubleshooting tips.
Other Troubleshooting Steps
If changing your language setting back to English did not work, here are some other steps to try:
Check Other Facebook Settings Related to Language
In addition to the primary language setting, also check these related settings to see if any are incorrectly set:
- Ads language preferences
- Marketplace language setting
- News feed preferences
Adjust any languages or regions that are currently set to Chinese. This may help override any problematic settings that are causing Chinese text to display.
Log Out Fully and Log Back In
Be sure to fully log out of Facebook after changing any settings related to language or region. Just switching accounts is not enough. Fully logging out and then logging back in can help clear any cached language settings.
Clear Browser History and Cookies
Try clearing your browser history and cookies to eliminate any cached language settings from Facebook that could be affecting the language displayed. You can do this in your browser settings.
After clearing the history/cookies, log out and back into Facebook to start fresh.
Check Third-Party Apps Connected to Your Facebook Account
If you’ve authorized any third-party apps to connect with your Facebook account, check the permissions for those apps.
It’s possible a rogue app could be affecting language-related settings. Revoke access for any suspicious or unknown third-party apps.
Use Facebook in a Different Web Browser
As a test, try temporarily accessing Facebook from a web browser that you don’t normally use. For example, if you typically use Chrome, try loading Facebook in Firefox or Safari.
If the new browser displays Facebook properly in English, the issue is isolated to your usual browser. You can then troubleshoot browser-specific settings.
Update the Facebook App or Reinstall
If accessing Facebook in your mobile app or desktop app, try updating the app to the latest version. If it’s already updated, uninstall and reinstall the app completely. This can reset any corrupted language settings.
Contact Facebook Support
If you still see Chinese text after trying all the above steps, reach out to Facebook customer support. They may be able to pinpoint the issue and reset language settings on their end. Be prepared to provide details of when the problem started and troubleshooting you’ve already done.
Preventing Facebook Language Issues in the Future
To avoid your Facebook feed unexpectedly switching languages again, here are some preventative measures:
- Add two-factor authentication for extra account security
- Frequently change your Facebook password and do not reuse passwords
- Be cautious of third-party apps requesting unnecessary permissions
- Monitor your logged in devices and sessions for any unusual activity
- Avoid clicking on sketchy links that could be attempts at phishing
Enabling login notifications can also alert you anytime your Facebook account is accessed from a new location or unknown device. This lets you confirm logins are authorized.
Being proactive about account security reduces the chances of your language settings being tampered with if your account is ever compromised.
Why Facebook May Default to Showing Chinese
While it’s unclear exactly why Chinese is frequently the default language that shows up unexpectedly for English-speaking Facebook users, there are some possible explanations:
- More than 1 billion Facebook users are located in China
- Chinese is the language with the most native speakers worldwide
- A significant portion of Facebook’s workforce speaks Chinese
- Facebook’s algorithms may prioritize Chinese based on user analytics and engagement
The large Chinese userbase influences what languages Facebook caters to and how language settings are structured. This could result in Chinese being set as the primary language by default in certain situations.
Largest Facebook Userbases by Language
Here is a table showing the largest language groups on Facebook worldwide based on native speakers:
| Language | Estimated Facebook Users |
|---|---|
| English | 351 million |
| Spanish | 314 million |
| Arabic | 164 million |
| Portuguese | 138 million |
| Indonesian | 132 million |
| French | 118 million |
| Chinese | 1.05 billion |
As you can see, Chinese dwarfs all other languages on Facebook in terms of number of users. This massive userbase means interface defaults are often optimized for Chinese first.
Conclusion
Facebook suddenly switching your feed to Chinese can certainly be annoying and confusing. However, in most cases it only takes a few simple steps to change the language back to your preferred setting.
Resetting the language, logging out, clearing cookies/history, and uninstalling/reinstalling the app are common fixes. Enabling extra security features can also prevent unauthorized changes in the future.
While the prominence of Chinese on Facebook may cause occasional language mix-ups, becoming familiar with the proper troubleshooting can help resolve the issue quickly. With over 1 billion Chinese speakers on Facebook, Chinese interface defaults are unavoidable – but manageable with the right tools and knowledge.