We're calling on all EU-based Mozillians with iOS or iPadOS devices to help us monitor Apple’s new browser choice screens. Join the effort to hold Big Tech to account!

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

This thread was closed and archived. Please ask a new question if you need help.

I'm unable to change menu language

more options

The main "Firefox" menu is in Japanese, but all the rest of the menus (File, Edit, View, History, etc.) are in English.

How can I change the "Firefox" menu's language back to English? I've already tried it in settings.

I am unable to attach screenshots for an unknown reason so will instead link them here:

https://take.ms/K86Jh

https://take.ms/IhA2L

https://take.ms/5qMoL

MacOS 10.14.4 FF Quantum 66.0.3 (64-bit)

The main "Firefox" menu is in Japanese, but all the rest of the menus (File, Edit, View, History, etc.) are in English. How can I change the "Firefox" menu's language back to English? I've already tried it in settings. I am unable to attach screenshots for an unknown reason so will instead link them here: https://take.ms/K86Jh https://take.ms/IhA2L https://take.ms/5qMoL MacOS 10.14.4 FF Quantum 66.0.3 (64-bit)

Modified by Mike

Chosen solution

I'm on macOS and I managed to reproduce this.

To fix this, you'll need to uninstall the Japanese language.

  1. To go Tools > Addons > Languages.
  2. Beside Japanese, click Remove.
  3. Restart Firefox.
Read this answer in context 👍 1

All Replies (16)

more options

I for myself use Chrome for this feature so it can change languages on the fly. I use Windows but having Chrome being able to go to English helps alot especially on Online retailer sites.

Did you close and restart the Browser after doing that change?

more options

WestEnd said

Did you close and restart the Browser after doing that change?

The change to test Japanese was over 2 months ago, and was reverted the same day. I quit the browser daily.

more options

If the Firefox user interface (toolbars) is in the wrong language or if you want to change the current language then download Firefox in the language of your choice.

more options

cor-el said

If the Firefox user interface (toolbars) is in the wrong language or if you want to change the current language then download Firefox in the language of your choice.

As you will see if you review the screenshots I linked to, all of the menus are in English except for the "Firefox" menu - which is in Japanese.

more options

What does the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page show for the language settings (Internationalization & Localization) at the bottom of this page?

more options

Here is a screenshot:

more options

So, it looks that the OS system locale setting is used for the Firefox menu. I don't know whether Firefox handles (creates) this menu or that this menu is created/filled by the Mac OS because on Mac the main menu bar is handled by the OS and not under control of Firefox.

You could try to ask advice at the Mac support forum.

more options

Mac forums are spectacularly unhelpful so it seems I may be stuck.

Thanks for your help, cor-el.

more options

Maybe try Reddit and mozillaZine to see whether Mac users there have suggestions.

more options

Chosen Solution

I'm on macOS and I managed to reproduce this.

To fix this, you'll need to uninstall the Japanese language.

  1. To go Tools > Addons > Languages.
  2. Beside Japanese, click Remove.
  3. Restart Firefox.
more options

Not sure why I didn't think to try that myself! Thanks Chris.

more options

Hi!

I got a similar problem. With every Firefox update in the last few years the menu language was set to German even though I haven't even installed the German language pack. So I couldn't even deactivate anything and in the options the language was always set to English - I also tried both British and US with no success. So far the only thing that ever worked was to reinstall Firefox completely but today not even this works anymore. Is there a solution to this old bug?

yours Xander

more options

xander.dorn said

Is there a solution to this old bug?

Hi Xander !

Would you please take a look at the last post in this bug report :

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1564998

See this thread : https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1268054

more options

the purgecache doesn't work either

more options

xander.dorn said

the purgecache doesn't work either

It's the first part of the last post in the bug report that did the trick (maunally updating the language pack) ......

(I added a link to that thread, because the OPs initial reaction was the same as yours is now)

more options

Hi Xander, A post in this thread was marked as the solution by the person who asked the original question (mgibson323). Your issue may have similar symptoms, but it is likely a different cause/solution. You should use https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/new where volunteers can get more details about your setup.

Because this thread is solved and more people might start using it for their own questions, I'm going to lock it.