Changing the language of macOS system to Arabic | Arabic localization for macOS

If you have recently purchased an Apple computer, whether it’s a MacBook laptop, iMac, or Mac Mini imported from abroad, you may want to change the default display language as it may differ from your native language or if you speak multiple languages and want to use a different language. macOS supports over two hundred languages that can be used, and fortunately, Arabic is fully supported among these languages. But keep in mind that there are two parts to changing the language: first is changing the language used at the system level – windows, options names, menus, and so on. And the other is changing the keyboard language. In this article, we focus on the first part, so if your Mac device displays everything in a language you don’t understand, you can apply the steps below to localize macOS.

When setting up a Mac for the first time, you are asked to choose your preferred language and set the region you live in. However, you may have purchased a used device from abroad and when you turn it on, you notice that the default language based on the country you purchased the device from may be French or Chinese.. Whatever it may be. In this situation, you can follow the following steps and select options based on their icons and positions indicated in the screenshots.

First, click on the Apple logo in the top left corner of the screen and then choose System Preferences, in the window that appears, click on Language & Region (the icon with a globe symbol). Now look at the sidebar menu of Preferred languages, if you find it containing Arabic or your preferred language, click on the language name and drag it to the top of the list, then a window will appear asking you to restart the device to implement the new changes so click Restart. If the language you want is not listed, click on the Add (+) button in the left corner of the menu.

A new window will appear containing all the languages supported by the macOS system, but note that the list here is divided into two parts, the first part contains languages fully supported by the system, meaning all text in menus, windows, and notifications are displayed in it, while the second part contains other languages not fully supported but may be supported by websites and applications you use. Anyway, if you want to use Arabic language, you will find it there in the first section as it is fully supported in the system. So select “Arabic – العربية” and click Add.

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Once you have added the Arabic language to the list of preferred languages, another window will appear asking you whether you want to use this language as the primary language for the system or add it as a secondary language for the system. And since you want to make everything on your Mac device in Arabic language, click on the “Use Arabic” option as shown above.

macOS will require a restart of the computer, you can agree to restart now or postpone it which may result in some installed applications continuing to display their content in the previous language, but in general, you will notice that menu titles, options names, message content, even Safari browser.. everything literally in the system is displayed in Arabic language – or any other language you have assigned – except for the names of Apple services which are displayed in English only and are not translated into any other language.