The Best Guide to App Localization & Translation

Your app can reach far and wide while still giving an incredible experience to anybody who uses it.

When creating a new app, you must consider how to scale it globally, who it is intended for, and how to make it relevant to all potential users.

Apps should be ubiquitous and simple to use, thus nothing should limit them to a single language or area. That is why ‘translating’ apps into what users would surely see as a sub-par version of the original is not an option.

Instead, you design apps for native speakers in various languages, so every detail—from currency to cultural nuances, units of measurement to user-friendliness—feels custom-made for them.

Let’s look at why app localization is crucial and how to overcome the most frequent localization issues.

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What is app localization?

The process of customizing every piece of your app to meet the cultural, linguistic, and technical requirements of each of your target markets is known as app localization.

An early-stage called ‘internationalization’ is required to localize everything from the app’s vocabulary and cultural allusions to its audio-visual content and user experience (UX).

Internationalization, sometimes known as ‘i18n,’ is the process of separating text and other user-facing content from the coding of an app. Hard-coded language is replaced by ‘calls’ that automatically get text in the user’s native language, whatever that may be.

Following the internationalization stage, numerous aspects of the app are rebuilt to the point where a user would believe they were made in their native tongue. For instance:

User instructions, terms and conditions, FAQs, text within visuals, etc. are all examples of text.
Images, photos, and colors with cultural and country-specific content.
Whether it’s spoken speech, music, or sound effects, audio is important.
Formats for money, dates, and numbers.
Will the app have to be updated for right-to-left languages, languages with different character sets, and so on?

Of course, localizing your app for global use is pointless unless enough people download it.

When you publish your company’s app on the iOS and Android stores, it becomes accessible to anyone around the globe. However, there is a significant difference between global availability and global accessibility.

Localization is required even if your mobile app is available in hundreds of languages.

Why should you localize your app?

We’ve already talked about what it is, but we can’t stress how important it is to localize your apps. Let’s look at some of the reasons for this.

1. Increase Your App Downloads

According to 2021 Statistica research, the number of smartphone users globally is approaching four billion, with several hundred million more expected in the next years.

With 1.46 billion smartphone users, China, India, and the United States are the countries with the most.

The Google Play Store has over 2.56 million apps available for Android users, while the iOS App Store has over 1.85 million.

Both stores are available in over 40 languages throughout the world, and your app must stand out from the crowd and persuade people to click the download button.

2. Give App Users a Personalized UX

According to CSA Research, smartphone users are far more likely to engage with a brand if the app is available in their native language:

65% prefer content written in their own tongue.
40% of people will not buy if the content is not their native language.
73% desire product reviews in their native tongue.

According to a Distomo survey from 2016, companies that localized their apps for iOS experienced 128 percent more downloads than those that didn’t.

Users prefer to download and utilize apps that are available in their local language. Thus, updating all titles, subtitles, descriptions, captions, screenshots, keywords, and other material in an app’s listing to the local language will dramatically enhance an app’s download prospects.

Even just using localized keywords to improve an app’s exposure in the store has been demonstrated to increase downloads by 767 percent.

When all of the above is customized to the user’s cultural norms, the app provides a more positive user experience, increasing engagement, conversion, and positive ratings.

3. Increase Your Revenue

In 2020, sales from Android and iOS apps will total $111 billion, up 24% over the previous year. Localization increases your app’s visibility and exposure, as well as its reach by allowing it to reach new target groups.

Keep in mind that not all overseas markets are covered by the Apple and Google app stores. App localization ensures compatibility with a wide range of screen sizes and operating systems around the world.

According to research, having a well-localized app will boost your app’s ranking in app stores, resulting in an estimated rise in total downloads and, as a result, more money.

Making your app more accessible and easy to use for all new users helps to increase the number of downloads and, as a result, income.

We Can Help With App Localization & Translation

If you want to take your app to a global audience while keeping a local flavor, app localization is the way to go.

GTE Localize specializes in multilingual app translation and localization services. We deliver professional app localization for every need with the best results.