Pixel Bilingual Issues Driving Me Crazy

Zarathustra[H]

Extremely [H]
Joined
Oct 29, 2000
Messages
38,743
It has happened again.

I am planning a trip to Sweden this summer, and have been doing lots of research on Swedish websites. I grew up over there, speak the language, and have been spending some time on Swedish language websites.

Well, Google, or my phone, or something else has now decided - without my input - that I prefer my webpages in Swedish, and my search results in Swedish publications and Swedish maps. It's not just googles pages, but also other random pages, including AirBnB.

I have tried just about everything, including:

  • Checking the language settings on my phone (Settings -> System -> Language & Input -> Languages) where I have confirmed that both English and Swedish are added (so I can use the Swedish keyboard) but English is set as my primary language.
  • Clearing all cookies and history in my phones browser
  • Going to Google's web settings and setting the location to U.S. and language to English
  • Doing all these things again followed by restarting my phone

Nothing seems to help. It is driving me crazy. Sure, I am fluent in Swedish, but that doesn't mean I want Swedish localization or Swedish webpages in everything I do...

Has anyone else who is bilingual encountered a problem like this? Were you able to solve it? If so how?

This has me cursing AI and automation in all of its forms. With everything I use, I want it to stay unchanged, exactly the same, unless I explicitly tell it to change.

In this case, unless I switch my settings to Swedish, it should never try to second guess my current language settings...

Set silicon valley on fire!
 
I'm trilingual, but I only see ads or suggestions in my non-primary languages. Sometimes when my localization is all screwed it, it's because I forgot to turn off my VPN.
 
I'm trilingual, but I only see ads or suggestions in my non-primary languages. Sometimes when my localization is all screwed it, it's because I forgot to turn off my VPN.

Well, same here, English, Swedish and German. But I'm only fluent in the two.

I do use a VPN but it is just for privacy, and my exit point is here in the states.
 
It has happened again.

I am planning a trip to Sweden this summer, and have been doing lots of research on Swedish websites. I grew up over there, speak the language, and have been spending some time on Swedish language websites.

Well, Google, or my phone, or something else has now decided - without my input - that I prefer my webpages in Swedish, and my search results in Swedish publications and Swedish maps. It's not just googles pages, but also other random pages, including AirBnB.

I have tried just about everything, including:

  • Checking the language settings on my phone (Settings -> System -> Language & Input -> Languages) where I have confirmed that both English and Swedish are added (so I can use the Swedish keyboard) but English is set as my primary language.
  • Clearing all cookies and history in my phones browser
  • Going to Google's web settings and setting the location to U.S. and language to English
  • Doing all these things again followed by restarting my phone

Nothing seems to help. It is driving me crazy. Sure, I am fluent in Swedish, but that doesn't mean I want Swedish localization or Swedish webpages in everything I do...

Has anyone else who is bilingual encountered a problem like this? Were you able to solve it? If so how?

This has me cursing AI and automation in all of its forms. With everything I use, I want it to stay unchanged, exactly the same, unless I explicitly tell it to change.

In this case, unless I switch my settings to Swedish, it should never try to second guess my current language settings...

Set silicon valley on fire!

A couple of months ago my Google Maps directions got set to Portuguese somehow. It was really weird.

I don't remember how I fixed it, but it's better now. I believe that I had to reset a couple of things both in the app and on my phone.
 
It's possible that your Google Account "Web and app activity" feature may be responsible. It's saying that it "Saves your activity to give you more personalized experiences" may be relevant. Try turning it off and see if it resolves the problem. You can access it on either your computer or device.

Google Account > Data & personalization > Activity Controls > Web & App Activity​

1.png
2.png
 
Last edited:
It's possible that your Google Account "Web and app activity" feature may be responsible. It's saying that it "Saves your activity to give you more personalized experiences" may be relevant. Try turning it off and see if it resolves the problem. You can access it on either your computer or device.

Google Account > Data & personalization > Activity Controls > Web & App Activity​

View attachment 151171 View attachment 151172


Thanks for the suggestion.

I usually disable everything that even remoteöy sounds like tracking, but I don't remember this one so I will have to take a look
 
Do you type of the Swedish keyboard all the time or is it only occasional? I leave the German one off on my phone and just use long presses when I need the special characters.
 
Back
Top