# Change your language

> Switch Canto between 13 languages. One setting drives the app interface and everything AI writes; transcription stays automatic in any language.

Updated: 2026-08-16 · Canonical: https://usecanto.com/help/account/change-language/

Canto has one language preference, and it drives two things: the app's interface and everything the AI writes — titles, summaries, action items, and chat answers. It does not affect transcription, which detects the spoken language automatically.

## Which languages are available?

English, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Polish, Norwegian, Swedish, Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian — 13 in total.

You pick a language at first launch, on the **Choose your language** screen. As that screen says: "This sets the app's language. Transcription works in any language you speak."

## How do I change it?

The setting is called **Language**, with the sublabel "App and AI-written content". The change applies immediately — no restart or reload needed.

### On iOS and Android

1. Open settings.
2. Under **Preferences**, choose **Language**.
3. Pick a language. The interface switches on the spot.

### On the web

1. Open **Settings**.
2. Open **Preferences** (sublabel "Theme & language").
3. Choose **Language** and pick from the list.

The preference is stored on your account, so changing it on one device changes it everywhere you use Canto.

## What does the language setting affect?

- **The app interface** — every screen, button, and message.
- **AI-written content** — recording titles, summaries, action items, chat answers, and template output are written in your chosen language from that point on.
- **Push notifications** for finished recordings, since the title and summary they show are AI-written.

Content the AI already generated stays as it was written; it isn't re-translated when you switch. Regenerating a summary after the change produces it in the new language.

## What does it not affect?

Transcription. Canto detects the spoken language of each recording automatically — there is no transcription language to configure, and speaking a language different from your app language is fine. A meeting held in German transcribes in German even if your app is set to English; the AI summary of it is then written in English. See [Which languages can Canto transcribe?](https://usecanto.com/help/transcription/supported-languages/)

Your own notes and edits are also untouched — Canto never rewrites text you typed.

## FAQ

### Can the app and the AI use different languages?

No. It's deliberately one setting: the language you read the app in is the language your notes and chat answers arrive in.

### My summaries are in the wrong language

Check the **Language** setting first — AI output follows it, not the language you spoke in the recording. If the transcript itself came out in the wrong language, that's a transcription issue instead: see [Wrong language detected](https://usecanto.com/help/troubleshooting/wrong-language-detected/).

Related articles:

- [Which languages does Canto transcribe?](https://usecanto.com/help/transcription/supported-languages/)
- [What's in an AI summary?](https://usecanto.com/help/ai/summaries/)
- [The transcript is in the wrong language](https://usecanto.com/help/troubleshooting/wrong-language-detected/)