Switch Ubuntu to German

You can already set up Ubuntu in German during the installation, but you can also change the language later. To do this, however, several settings must be made.

Install and activate the German language pack

First install the German language pack and assign it to your user account:

1. Open the "System Settings" in the start menu of Ubuntu.
2. Click the "Language Support" option.
3. You may now receive a message that the language support is not installed completely. In this case, confirm the installation of the missing components by clicking on the Install button.
4. Then select the "Install / Remove Languages" button in the "Language" tab. In the new window, check the box "German" and confirm your selection with the "Apply Changes" button. The components for the German language are then downloaded and installed.
5. Switch to the "Regional Formats" tab. Select the option "German (Germany)" from the dropdown list. Then click on the "Apply System-Wide" button.
6. Open the "User Accounts" option in the "System Settings" of Ubuntu. Select your user account there and click on the language currently set to the right of "Language". Select German (Germany) from the dropdown list.
7. Log out of Ubuntu briefly or restart the system. The next time you log in, you will be asked whether you want to update the names of the standard folders to the current language. Confirm this with the "Update name" button.

Set the correct time zone

If you have used Ubuntu in a different country setting so far, it is most likely that the wrong time zone is also set:

1. Open the "System Settings" in the Ubuntu start menu.
2. Click on "Time & Date".
3. Enter the name of your city or the closest major city in the "Location" input field.

Last step: switch to the German keyboard layout

It may also be necessary to set the German keyboard layout in Ubuntu:

1. Open the "System Settings" in the Ubuntu start menu.
2. Click on "Keyboard" and then on "Text input".
3. Under the "Input sources to use" field, click the plus icon.
4. Select "German" as the input source and click "Add".
5. In the main panel of Ubuntu (the bar at the top of the screen) click on the En symbol and select "German".