# Languages and translations

Activate a language from the Languages block of General Settings, let every user choose theirs in My Preferences, reload the translations after an upgrade and disable a language nobody uses any more.

The interface, the menus and the reports of Jaah exist in every language that is active on your database. Activating a language is an administrator's task: the **General Settings** page is shown to the *Role / Administrator* role only. Choosing a language is every user's own decision, made in their preferences. This page covers both, then reloading the translations after an upgrade and disabling a language.

## Before you start {#before-you-start}

- You need the *Role / Administrator* role for the **Languages** block. A user with the *Role / User* role can only change their own language.
- Activating a language loads the translation files of every installed module, so it takes a moment. The counter in the **Languages** block tells you how many languages are active already.
- Decide who sets the language: the administrator in the user form, or the user in **My Preferences**. Both write the same **Language** field of the user.

## Steps {#steps}

1. Open **Settings/General Settings** and scroll to the **Languages** block. The number next to **Languages** is the count of active languages.

![The Languages block of General Settings with the count of active languages and the "Add Languages" link.](https://jaah.app/web/image/7066-e4dd2e7d/general-settings-languages-languages_block-en.png)

2. Click **Add Languages**. The **Add Languages** window opens.
3. In **Languages**, pick one or several languages. The list also offers the languages that are not active yet. In developer mode the window shows one more option, **Overwrite Existing Terms**, ticked by default: the official translations then replace any translation you customised.

![The Add Languages window; pick one or several languages, then click "Add".](https://jaah.app/web/image/7070-c3b00310/general-settings-languages-add_languages_wizard-en.png)

4. Click **Add**. The platform activates the languages and loads the translations of every installed module. After a single language, a confirmation window offers **Close** and a second button that switches your own interface to the new language and closes the window. After several languages, a notification confirms it: "The languages that you selected have been successfully installed. Users can choose their favorite language in their preferences."
5. Assign the language to a user. As administrator, open **Settings/Users & Companies/Users**, open the user, go to the **Preferences** tab and set **Language**; only active languages are listed. Save. The globe button next to the field (**Add a language**) opens the same **Add Languages** window.
6. Let users choose for themselves. From the user menu (the avatar at the top of the screen) they pick **My Preferences**, open the **Preferences** tab, set **Language** and click **Update Preferences**. Their interface reloads in that language.
7. To manage the whole list, turn on developer mode and open **Settings/Translations/Languages**; the **Manage Languages** link of the Languages block leads there too. Every row has **Activate** while the language is inactive, and **Update** and **Disable** once it is active. The **Activate** button in the header activates the selected rows at once.

![The Languages list (developer mode) with the Activate, Update and Disable buttons.](https://jaah.app/web/image/7074-700aff43/general-settings-languages-languages_list-en.png)

!!! tip "One language, one click"
    When you add exactly one language, the confirmation window lets you switch to it immediately. Use it to check the result before you tell your users.

## Result {#result}

The counter in the **Languages** block has grown. The new language is offered in the **Language** field of every user, and the users who chose it see the menus, the forms and the reports in that language. **Update** on a language row reloads its translations whenever the installed modules change.

## FAQ {#faq}

### Why can I not disable a language? {#why-can-i-not-disable-a-language}

**Disable** refuses as long as the language is in use. The message tells you who uses it: "Cannot deactivate a language that is currently used by users." or "Cannot deactivate a language that is currently used by contacts." Change the language of those users or contacts first. The language the database was set up in cannot be archived at all, because automated processes use it.

### How do I refresh the translations after an upgrade? {#refresh-translations-after-an-upgrade}

Open the Languages list in developer mode and click **Update** on the language, or open **Add Languages** again with that language selected and click **Add**. Both reload the translation files of every installed module. Keep **Overwrite Existing Terms** ticked if you want the official terms back, untick it to protect the terms you customised.

### Can a user choose a language that is not active? {#can-a-user-choose-an-inactive-language}

No. The **Language** field, in the user form as well as in **My Preferences**, lists active languages only. Activate the language first, then the user can pick it.

### Where do I import or export translation files? {#import-or-export-translation-files}

In developer mode, the Settings menu shows **Translations › Import / Export** with **Import Translation** and **Export Translation**. These wizards exchange translation files for a language; they are meant for translators, not for day-to-day use.

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- Source: https://jaah.app/docs/general-settings/languages-and-translations
- Updated: 2026-10-13
- Version: General settings and administration 19.0.1.0
- Verified: 2026-10-13