How to set the default language to English in Photoshop: 3 ways

Imagine this: you've installed Adobe Photoshop, and it's in Russian. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but you watch foreign tutorials where all the menus are in English. Finding the right command becomes a real quest. Or you work in an international team where a unified terminology is used. Sound familiar?

In this article, we will cover 3 working methods to change the default language in Photoshop to English. These methods work for all versions — from CS6 to the latest CC. You'll learn how to do it quickly, safely, and without losing any data.

Why you should work in Photoshop in English

Before we get to the instructions, let's understand why this is necessary:

• Learning from foreign tutorials — 90% of high-quality YouTube tutorials and specialized platforms are recorded with an English interface. You'll stop wasting time searching for menu equivalents.
• Professional terminology — international projects and communication with foreign colleagues use the English version of commands.
• Quick problem solving — when an issue arises, you can easily find answers on Google using the English names of tools.
• Industry standard — many companies and studios use the English version of Photoshop as a corporate standard.

Method 1. Official method via Creative Cloud (for CC versions)

This method is offered by Adobe itself. It is suitable for users of a licensed version of Photoshop CC.

Step‑by‑step instructions:

1. Open the Creative Cloud app on your computer.
2. Click the account icon in the upper right corner and select Preferences.
3. In the left part of the dialog, select Apps.
4. Under Default install language, select English from the drop‑down list.
5. Click Done to apply the changes.
6. Important: after this change, all applications downloaded via Creative Cloud will be installed in English.
7. If Photoshop is already installed, you will need to uninstall and reinstall it to apply the language change.

Method 2. Changing the language through Interface Preferences (Preferences > Interface)

This method works in versions of Photoshop that already have several language packs installed. It does not require reinstallation.

Step‑by‑step instructions:

1. Open Photoshop.
2. In the top menu, go to Edit → Preferences → Interface.
3. In the UI Language section, select English from the drop‑down list.
4. Click OK and restart Photoshop for the changes to take effect.

If only Russian is available in the drop‑down list, the English language pack is not installed. In that case, use Method 3.

Method 3. Manual method — renaming the tw10428.dat file (universal)

This is the most popular and reliable method among users. It works on any version of Photoshop — from CS6 to CC 2025. It does not require reinstallation, an internet connection, or additional language packs.

The idea is simple: Photoshop stores a file with the interface translation. If you rename this file so that the program "does not see" it, it will automatically switch to English as the default language.

Step‑by‑step instructions:

1. Close Photoshop if it is running.
2. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the folder where Photoshop is installed.
3. Follow this path: X:\Program Files\Adobe\[Photoshop version]\Locales\[language folder]\Support Files, where X is your drive letter (usually C:), and [language folder] — for example, ru_RU for Russian or uk_UA for Ukrainian.
4. Locate the file tw10428.dat.
5. Rename it, changing the extension from .dat to .bak. For example: tw10428.bak.
6. Launch Photoshop — the interface will become English.

Table of folder paths for different Photoshop versions

If you cannot find the folder: use Windows Explorer search for the file tw10428.dat. This will help you find the exact location regardless of the version.

Comparison table of all three methods

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Comparing Photoshop with alternative programs

For a complete picture, let's compare Photoshop with other popular graphics editors in terms of changing the interface language:

Why Photoshop remains the best choice:

• Flexibility in interface language settings
• Huge community and thousands of tutorials
• Professional industry standard
• Constant updates and new features

User reviews

“The renaming tw10428.dat method is simply awesome! I struggled for a week, looking through settings, and it turned out I just needed to rename one file. Thanks for the article!”

“I work in Photoshop CC 2024. The method via Preferences worked perfectly, but only after I installed the English language pack through Creative Cloud. For those with a subscription, it’s the most correct way.”

“Renamed the file on Mac — everything works. Five minutes and done. Reverting is just as easy. I recommend it!”

Conclusion

We have covered 3 ways to change the default language in Photoshop to English. Which one to choose depends on your situation:

• If you have a licensed Creative Cloud → use the official method via Preferences (Method 1).
• If English is already available in the settings → switch via Preferences (Method 2).
• For all other cases → use the universal method of renaming tw10428.dat (Method 3). It works on 100% of versions, takes 1 minute, and does not require internet.

Now you know how to quickly and safely change the interface language of Photoshop. No more problems with finding commands in the Russian menu when watching foreign tutorials!

Liked the article? Bookmark it so you don't lose the instructions. And don't forget to share it with fellow designers — they'll find it useful too!