Language Switcher

🌐 A powerful, accessible, and intelligent Chrome extension that automatically detects available language versions of websites and provides one-click switching between them. Use this switcher to open the same content in other locales fast. It finds alternate locale versions in subdomains, paths, and query parameters, then presents a clean UI selector.

No machine translation, only real alternates where they exist.

Use this Language Switcher as a compact toolbar in the popup or subtle on‑page buttons. If you want per‑site control instead of broad browser changes, this tool is for you. You get smooth switching without hunting tiny flags or buried menus.

Who it is for

1️⃣ Readers who need quick switches on news, education, and government sites
2️⃣ Learners comparing content across locales
3️⃣ Journalists and researchers accessing primary sources across regions
4️⃣ Travelers and expats who want fast toggles on services and guides
5️⃣ Localization and QA teams verifying alternates and parity across locales

What it does

• Detects alternate pages from metadata and visible selectors
• Shows a dedicated language toolbar in the popup
• Provides a compact language selector for your favorites
• Validates links to ensure that switching ​​does not result in 404 errors, where it possible
• Supports clear selection flows with previews

When you need it

➤ You want to use a locale selector on a site that supports it
➤ You cannot find the built‑in selector
➤ You prefer a consistent experience across domains
➤ You need a straightforward action for the current page
➤ You want a fast change without complex menus

📖 How to Use

Using the Extension Popup

1. Navigate to any webpage
2. Click the Language Switcher extension icon in your toolbar
3. The extension will show available languages (if any)
4. Select a language from the dropdown to preview its URL
5. Star your favorites: Click the ★ next to any language to mark it as a favorite
6. Click "Switch" to navigate, or 📋 to copy the URL

❤️ Your favorites will always appear at the top of the list for quick access. First Time? The extension automatically imports your Chrome preferences as favorites on first launch.

Using On-Page Push-Button Selector

Once you've starred your favorites:

1. The push-button selector appears automatically on any page that has starred languages available
2. Hover over a button to see the full language name in a tooltip
3. Click a code (e.g., "EN", "ES", "FR") to instantly switch to that language
4. The current button is marked with a green checkmark (✓)
5. Drag to reposition: Grab the ⋮⋮ handle at the top to move the widget anywhere on the page
6. Hide/Show toggle: Click the toggle button on the handle to temporarily hide the widget

Position remembered: Your preferred position is saved and restored on future visits Buttons update in real-time when you add/remove favorites

Example: If you favorite English, Spanish, and French, you'll see "EN" "ES" "FR" buttons on multilingual sites. Tip: Drag the widget to your preferred corner or position - it will stay there on all future pages!

🔍 How It Works

Detection Methods

The extension uses three complementary methods:

1. HTML Meta Tags. Scans for tags in the page's . This is the standard way websites declare alternate language versions.

2. Page Content Analysis. Searches visible page elements for language switcher links by looking for:

   • links with hreflang attributes
   • links with lang or data-lang attributes
   • links in language selector menus (common CSS classes/IDs)

Note: Only includes links from the same domain to avoid false positives.

3. URL Pattern Analysis (Smart Suggestions)

When the extension detects a language-based URL pattern, it suggests other common languages following the same pattern.

Detected Patterns: Subdomain: es.wikipedia.org → suggests en.wikipedia.org, fr.wikipedia.org, etc. Path: nasa.gov/es/ → suggests nasa.gov/en/, nasa.gov/fr/, etc. Query: example.com?lang=es → suggests example.com?lang=en, etc.

Visual Distinction: Pattern-based suggestions are shown in a separate group labeled "💡 Suggested" and marked when previewed.

Current Language Detection

The extension identifies your current language by checking (in order):

1. HTML lang attribute:
2. Open Graph locale meta tag
3. Subdomain pattern: en.example.com
4. URL path: /en/page or /en-US/page
5. Query parameters: ?lang=en, ?language=en, ?locale=en, ?hl=en

⚠️ Limited/No Support:

➤ Single-language sites - No alternate versions exist ➤ Sites without metadata - If languages aren't properly linked ➤ Custom implementations - Some sites use complex JavaScript-based switchers ➤ Completely different domains - Sites using different domain names per language (e.g., example.com vs exemple.fr). ➤ Social media & video platforms - YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, etc. use 2-letter paths for user pages/channels, not languages (speculative patterns disabled for these sites)

Why not rely on full browser changes

1. Changing Chrome menus doesn’t guarantee a language version exists
2. Many sites hide their native selector; a focused switcher helps
3. A targeted tool is faster when you need one specific page

❓ It is the answer to frequently asked questions:

• How to change a page’s locale without altering global settings
• Can we switch only this page locale while leaving Chrome menus alone
• Changing Chrome UI vs per‑site language control
• Should I change the whole browser or just this page language
• What’s the difference between a system setting and a site language switch

Real‑world cases

• Quickly open government pages for official information
• Compare documentation across editions
• Rely on a stable switcher in international stores and help centers
• Use a compact toolbar that fits any layout
• Keep a consistent selector across domains

✅ Built for clarity and trust

Focused on site‑level control rather than full browser reconfiguration. If you want to change Chrome locale globally, use Settings; when you only need a page‑level language switch, this extension makes it quick.