Language Settings configure the org's default language and which languages users can pick personally. Translatable UI strings are managed via Translation Workbench separately. Language Settings is about which languages the org *supports*, not what's translated.
- Open Setup → Language Settings
Setup gear → Quick Find: Language → Language Settings.
- Set Default Language
What new users default to. Per-user override exists on the User record.
- Configure Available Languages
Multi-select from Salesforce-supported languages. Restricts what users can pick.
- For per-user language: edit the User record → Language field
Each user has their own language. Defaults to org default if not set.
- For UI translation work: use Translation Workbench
Language Settings is the gate; Translation Workbench is where translatable strings get populated per language.
What new users default to.
Restrict picker to specific languages.
End-User: display only. Platform: display + Setup admin translation.
- Setting a Default Language doesn't translate existing data. Picklist values, custom labels, validation rule messages stay in their original language until Translation Workbench populates per-language overrides.
- Per-user language overrides the org default. A user set to Japanese sees Japanese UI even if the org default is English — their Account Name field still shows the original-language data.
- Available Languages restricts the picker; setting a user to a non-listed language requires re-enabling that language in settings first.