Map Labels Language Settings

iOS Settings: Set map labels to local language or English

A frequent tech support question we receive goes something like this:

In foreign countries, the wording on these maps are in their local language. Since I’m not knowledgeable in these languages, I would like to set all maps to English so that I can read them. Will you guide me please?

The labels on the basemaps are determined by iOS, not us. (I touched on this in a prior post about the Gulf.)

Good news — there is an iOS Setting that determines whether map labels appear in the local language or your preferred language. You can adjust this setting to display all map labels consistently in whichever language you prefer. Here’s how:

1. Open the iOS Settings app. The icon looks like this:

   

2. Locate the Search box at the top of the screen.

   

3. Type Maps into the Search box and tap on Maps (it should be first in the list.)

   

4. Scroll down to find Map Labels > Always in [Language]. (For me, it’s English.) Turn ON the toggle switch.

   

QuakeFeed is designed to follow your iOS system settings for a variety of preferences, such as location access, notifications, text size, time zone, appearance (ie, light / dark mode), and units (mi / km). While you can override some of these preferences directly within the QuakeFeed app, others remain tied to your iOS settings. In QuakeFeed, tap the Settings button in the bottom right corner and you'll find options to adjust Units and Appearance settings.