How to Change Language in Premiere Pro and After Effects (Step-by-Step)

Stuck with Premiere Pro or After Effects running in the wrong language? Maybe you switched computers, reinstalled the app, or your system locale changed and now everything is in German when you need English (or the other way around).

The good news is you do not need to reinstall anything. There is a built-in developer console inside both apps that lets you switch the language in under a minute. And if you are on Premiere Pro, we have a free one-click script that makes the whole thing even faster.

Here is exactly how to do it.

Step 1: Open Premiere Pro or After Effects

Launch whichever app you want to change the language for. The process is identical for both, so you can follow these same steps regardless of which one you are using. Make sure the app is fully loaded before moving to the next step.

Step 2: Open the Developer Console

With the app open, press:

• Windows: Ctrl + F12
• Mac: Cmd + F12

This opens the developer console, which is a built-in engineering tool inside Adobe apps. Do not let that intimidate you. You are only going to use one small part of it.

Step 3: Switch to Debug Database View

At the top of the console panel, you will see a dropdown menu sitting right next to the word "Console."

Click that dropdown and select "Debug Database View" from the list.

This switches the panel from showing logs to showing a searchable list of internal app settings, which is exactly what you need.

Step 4: Search for "ApplicationLanguage"

In the search field that appears, type:

ApplicationLanguage

You will see the setting appear in the list below. This is the value that controls which language the app displays.

Step 5: Set Your Language Code

Click on the value field next to ApplicationLanguage and type in the language code you want to use.

For example, to switch to German, you would type de_DE. To switch to English (US), you would type en_US.

Here is the full list of supported language codes:

Enter the code, then press Enter or click away to confirm the value.

Step 6: Restart the App

Close Premiere Pro or After Effects completely and reopen it. The app will now launch in the language you selected.

That is it. No reinstalling, no Creative Cloud settings, no waiting for downloads.

Bonus: Change Language in Premiere Pro With One Click

If you are using Premiere Pro, you can skip the console entirely.

We built a free script that lets you change the language with a single click, directly inside Premiere Pro. No digging through menus or typing codes manually.

You can grab it here: Spotlight FX Change Language Script

It is free, takes seconds to set up, and works with all the language codes listed above.

Final Thoughts

Changing the language in Premiere Pro or After Effects does not have to mean reinstalling the whole app. With the developer console method, you can switch languages in about a minute using just a keyboard shortcut and a single setting. And if you are on Premiere Pro and want something even faster, the free Spotlight FX script handles it all for you in one click.

Pick your language code from the table above, follow the steps, and you are good to go.