diff --git a/packages/app-mobile/ios/Podfile.lock b/packages/app-mobile/ios/Podfile.lock
index 72277712e..c4f8ec003 100644
--- a/packages/app-mobile/ios/Podfile.lock
+++ b/packages/app-mobile/ios/Podfile.lock
@@ -412,6 +412,8 @@ PODS:
     - React-Core
   - RNGestureHandler (2.9.0):
     - React-Core
+  - RNLocalize (3.0.0):
+    - React-Core
   - RNQuickAction (0.3.13):
     - React
   - RNReanimated (3.1.0):
@@ -534,6 +536,7 @@ DEPENDENCIES:
   - RNFileViewer (from `../node_modules/react-native-file-viewer`)
   - RNFS (from `../node_modules/react-native-fs`)
   - RNGestureHandler (from `../node_modules/react-native-gesture-handler`)
+  - RNLocalize (from `../node_modules/react-native-localize`)
   - RNQuickAction (from `../node_modules/react-native-quick-actions`)
   - RNReanimated (from `../node_modules/react-native-reanimated`)
   - RNSecureRandom (from `../node_modules/react-native-securerandom`)
@@ -674,6 +677,8 @@ EXTERNAL SOURCES:
     :path: "../node_modules/react-native-fs"
   RNGestureHandler:
     :path: "../node_modules/react-native-gesture-handler"
+  RNLocalize:
+    :path: "../node_modules/react-native-localize"
   RNQuickAction:
     :path: "../node_modules/react-native-quick-actions"
   RNReanimated:
@@ -758,6 +763,7 @@ SPEC CHECKSUMS:
   RNFileViewer: ce7ca3ac370e18554d35d6355cffd7c30437c592
   RNFS: 4ac0f0ea233904cb798630b3c077808c06931688
   RNGestureHandler: 071d7a9ad81e8b83fe7663b303d132406a7d8f39
+  RNLocalize: 5944c97d2fe8150913a51ddd5eab4e23a82bd80d
   RNQuickAction: 6d404a869dc872cde841ad3147416a670d13fa93
   RNReanimated: 47df570b2e2b9eba34e78a299dd6d44596ff7bb6
   RNSecureRandom: 07efbdf2cd99efe13497433668e54acd7df49fef
diff --git a/packages/app-mobile/package.json b/packages/app-mobile/package.json
index 171bd403e..4a08b6a3d 100644
--- a/packages/app-mobile/package.json
+++ b/packages/app-mobile/package.json
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
     "react-native-get-random-values": "1.8.0",
     "react-native-image-picker": "5.3.1",
     "react-native-image-resizer": "1.4.5",
+    "react-native-localize": "3.0.0",
     "react-native-modal-datetime-picker": "14.0.1",
     "react-native-paper": "5.8.0",
     "react-native-popup-menu": "0.16.1",
diff --git a/packages/app-mobile/root.tsx b/packages/app-mobile/root.tsx
index c74fbe32c..00f982ecb 100644
--- a/packages/app-mobile/root.tsx
+++ b/packages/app-mobile/root.tsx
@@ -22,13 +22,13 @@ import handleShared from './utils/shareHandler';
 import uuid from '@joplin/lib/uuid';
 import { loadKeychainServiceAndSettings } from '@joplin/lib/services/SettingUtils';
 import KeychainServiceDriverMobile from '@joplin/lib/services/keychain/KeychainServiceDriver.mobile';
-import { setLocale, closestSupportedLocale, defaultLocale } from '@joplin/lib/locale';
+import { setLocale } from '@joplin/lib/locale';
 import SyncTargetJoplinServer from '@joplin/lib/SyncTargetJoplinServer';
 import SyncTargetJoplinCloud from '@joplin/lib/SyncTargetJoplinCloud';
 import SyncTargetOneDrive from '@joplin/lib/SyncTargetOneDrive';
 import initProfile from '@joplin/lib/services/profileConfig/initProfile';
 const VersionInfo = require('react-native-version-info').default;
-const { Keyboard, NativeModules, BackHandler, View, StatusBar, Platform, Dimensions } = require('react-native');
+const { Keyboard, BackHandler, View, StatusBar, Platform, Dimensions } = require('react-native');
 import { AppState as RNAppState, EmitterSubscription, Linking, NativeEventSubscription } from 'react-native';
 import getResponsiveValue from './components/getResponsiveValue';
 import NetInfo from '@react-native-community/netinfo';
@@ -516,10 +516,11 @@ async function initialize(dispatch: Function) {
 		if (!Setting.value('clientId')) Setting.setValue('clientId', uuid.create());
 		reg.logger().info(`Client ID: ${Setting.value('clientId')}`);
 
+
 		if (Setting.value('firstStart')) {
-			let locale = NativeModules.I18nManager.localeIdentifier;
-			if (!locale) locale = defaultLocale();
-			Setting.setValue('locale', closestSupportedLocale(locale));
+			const detectedLocale = shim.detectAndSetLocale(Setting);
+			reg.logger().info(`First start: detected locale as ${detectedLocale}`);
+
 			Setting.skipDefaultMigrations();
 			Setting.setValue('firstStart', 0);
 		} else {
diff --git a/packages/app-mobile/utils/shim-init-react.js b/packages/app-mobile/utils/shim-init-react.js
index b7dc9bb9f..68f336898 100644
--- a/packages/app-mobile/utils/shim-init-react.js
+++ b/packages/app-mobile/utils/shim-init-react.js
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ const mimeUtils = require('@joplin/lib/mime-utils.js').mime;
 const { basename, fileExtension } = require('@joplin/lib/path-utils');
 const uuid = require('@joplin/lib/uuid').default;
 const Resource = require('@joplin/lib/models/Resource').default;
+const { getLocales } = require('react-native-localize');
+const { setLocale, defaultLocale, closestSupportedLocale } = require('@joplin/lib/locale');
 
 const injectedJs = {
 	webviewLib: require('@joplin/lib/rnInjectedJs/webviewLib'),
@@ -85,6 +87,30 @@ function shimInit() {
 
 	/* eslint-enable */
 
+	shim.detectAndSetLocale = (Setting) => {
+		// [
+		// 	{
+		// 		"countryCode": "US",
+		// 		"isRTL": false,
+		// 		"languageCode": "fr",
+		// 		"languageTag": "fr-US"
+		// 	},
+		// 	{
+		// 		"countryCode": "US",
+		// 		"isRTL": false,
+		// 		"languageCode": "en",
+		// 		"languageTag": "en-US"
+		// 	}
+		// ]
+
+		const locales = getLocales();
+		let locale = locales.length ? locales[0].languageTag : defaultLocale();
+		locale = closestSupportedLocale(locale);
+		Setting.setValue('locale', locale);
+		setLocale(locale);
+		return locale;
+	};
+
 	shim.fetch = async function(url, options = null) {
 		// The native fetch() throws an uncatchable error that crashes the
 		// app if calling it with an invalid URL such as '//.resource' or
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index ca23d6f2e..73a923324 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -5072,6 +5072,7 @@ __metadata:
     react-native-get-random-values: 1.8.0
     react-native-image-picker: 5.3.1
     react-native-image-resizer: 1.4.5
+    react-native-localize: 3.0.0
     react-native-modal-datetime-picker: 14.0.1
     react-native-paper: 5.8.0
     react-native-popup-menu: 0.16.1
@@ -27751,6 +27752,20 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"react-native-localize@npm:3.0.0":
+  version: 3.0.0
+  resolution: "react-native-localize@npm:3.0.0"
+  peerDependencies:
+    react: ">=18.1.0"
+    react-native: ">=0.70.0"
+    react-native-macos: ">=0.70.0"
+  peerDependenciesMeta:
+    react-native-macos:
+      optional: true
+  checksum: c03bacddc05c02b7bac70aceb23f65cbf93d48c0630c7a460fcb6c247379970b3e75c4689b4c281763d425a2272f0f563c0b47c38be8efbfa231e502c0f06480
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "react-native-modal-datetime-picker@npm:14.0.1":
   version: 14.0.1
   resolution: "react-native-modal-datetime-picker@npm:14.0.1"