If you are a frequent traveler and carry your Windows 10 laptop at all time, you might want to use the region settings feature in the operating system. When enabled, this ensures that your device is using the correct location, date, time and currency formats as well as hosts of local recommendations relevant to your trip. In this guide, see how you can change region settings in Windows 10 using the Settings app.
This useful Windows 10 feature allows the operating system and apps (available in Microsoft Store) to show you content based on your location. This personalizes your experience by automatically showing the correct data, time, currency format along with more targeted suggestions bases on your current location.
Previously, you had to open Control Panel in order to change the day, currency, time and week format manually. However, starting with Windows 10 version 1809, the “Region & Language” page in the Settings app. is split, showing a new “Region” page that now provides the options to set your location and choose your preferred formats.
Here are the steps to change regional settings on Windows 10 desktop PC, laptop and tablet.
How to change regional formats on Windows 10 using Settings app
If you are in a new region and your device is showing incorrect date, time, currency and location based recommendations, here’s how to use to change regional format settings.
1 – Open Settings.
2 – Click on Time & Language.
3 – Click on Region.
4 – Under the “Region” section, use the drop-down menu to set your correct location.
5 – Under the “Regional format” section, click the drop-down menu to decide if Windows 10 should configure data and time formats bases on your language and regional settings.
6 – Under the “Regional format data” section, click the Change data formats link.
7 – Here, you can change the following settings:
- Language
- Calendar
- First day of the week
- Short date
- Long date
- Short time
- Long time
- Currency
That’s all. Once the changes are complete, they will reflect your preferences on Windows 10 PC and Laptop. However, you may still to need to close and re-open some apps for changes to take effect.
While the page includes most region settings, if you need to change the language for non-Unicode programs, or you need to make a copy of the settings, on the right-side of the Region page, under “Related settings”, click the Additional date, time & regional settings link. This link will open the Region settings in Control Panel, where you can access the Administrative tab to adjust additional settings.
In case that you don’t see these settings, it’s because you’re not running a supported version of Windows 10. The Region settings page is expected arrive with Windows 10 version 1809. The version 1803 or earlier don’t have this feature in Settings, you have to change them manually using Control Panel.
