Add More Languages to Your phpBB Forum

What is a language pack?

phpBB is forum software. A forum is a place where people post messages and talk. A language pack is a set of files with all the buttons and labels translated. English comes built in. For other languages, you add a pack.

Steps

1. Open the official phpBB website in your browser. Find the page for language packs (translations) and download the pack for your language. Pick the one that matches your phpBB version, such as 3.2 or 3.3.
2. The download is a ZIP file. Open it on your computer and look inside. You should find a folder named with a short language code, such as fr for French.
3. Log in to the client area and open your hosting control panel.
4. Open File Manager and go to your phpBB folder.
5. Open the languages folder. You will see the en folder there.
6. Click Upload and upload the ZIP file.
7. Right-click the uploaded ZIP and choose Extract. Make sure the new language folder, such as fr, sits directly inside languages and not inside another folder.
8. Delete the ZIP file when you are done.
9. Log in to your forum as an administrator and open the Administration Control Panel (ACP).
10. Click the Customise tab.
11. In the left menu, under Language management, click Language packs.
12. Under Uninstalled language packs, find your new language and click Install.
13. Confirm by clicking Yes.

Choose the language

1. As a member, click your name, then User Control Panel.
2. Open Board preferences, then Edit global settings.
3. Pick your language in the Board language list and click Submit.

To make a language the default for new members, go to the General tab in the ACP. Open Board configuration, then Board settings, and change Default language.

Quick recap

• Download a language pack that matches your phpBB version.
• Upload and extract it into the languages folder.
• In the ACP, use Customise, then Language packs, then Install.
• Members pick their language in their User Control Panel.