How to Set System Locale on Ubuntu 24.04

This article explains how to set your system locale on Ubuntu 24.04 in 2026. A system locale controls your language, date formats, and currency settings. Why do this? It ensures your computer speaks your language and displays data in a way that makes sense to you. What happens when you are done? Your menus, apps, and system information will match your regional preferences.

Introduction

The locale is a set of rules that tells your computer how to handle local data. For most users, the easiest way to change these settings is through the graphical interface. Go to Settings > Region & Language to select your preferred language and formats. If you prefer using the terminal or need specific language packs, follow the steps below.

Check your current settings

First, open your terminal. Type the following command to see your current locale %%LNK0%%:

localectl

Look for the line that says LANG=. This shows your current language and region.

Search and install additional locales

If you need a language that is not currently installed, you must add it. First, search for available language packs:

apt search language-pack-

Once you find the pack you need, install it. For example, to install French, run:

sudo apt install language-pack-gnome-fr-base language-pack-fr

After installing, you must generate the locale so the system recognizes it. Run this command:

sudo locale-gen fr_FR.UTF-8

Finally, check that it is ready to use by typing:

localectl list-locales

Change system locale

Now, set your new locale as the system default. Use this command, replacing the example with your chosen locale:

sudo localectl set-locale LANG=fr_FR.UTF-8

Verify the change by running localectl again. While a full system restart ensures these changes apply globally to every service, logging out of your user account and logging back in is usually sufficient to apply the changes to your personal user environment.

Conclusion

Setting your system locale ensures your computer works exactly how you expect it to. By following these steps, you have updated your language and regional settings. If you run into issues, such as settings not appearing to change, check for conflicts with the LC_ALL environment variable. If LC_ALL is set, it will override your other locale settings. You can unset it or ensure it matches your LANG setting to fix the conflict. You are now ready to enjoy a personalized computing experience on Ubuntu 24.04 %%LNK1%%.