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Best Practices for iOS App Localization: A Developer’s Guide

In today’s global app market, proper localization isn’t just a nice-to-have feature – it’s essential for reaching a wider audience and increasing your app’s success. Let’s dive into the best practices that will help you create a truly global iOS app that feels native to users worldwide.

Start with Proper Planning

One of the most crucial steps in localization happens before you write a single line of code. Planning your localization strategy from the beginning can save countless hours of refactoring and potential issues down the line.

Key Planning Points:

  • Identify target markets and languages
  • Plan for text expansion (German can be 30% longer than English!)
  • Consider cultural differences and regional preferences
  • Set up a workflow for managing translations

Technical Implementation Best Practices

1. String Management

The foundation of good localization is proper string management. Here are the key practices:

// Don't do this
let label = UILabel()
label.text = "Welcome to my app"

// Do this instead
let label = UILabel()
label.text = NSLocalizedString("welcome_message", comment: "Welcome screen main message")

Always use string tables (Localizable.strings) and avoid hardcoding any user-facing text. Managing these strings becomes effortless with tools like LocalizApp, which provides a centralized interface for all your localizable content.

2. Handle Plurals Correctly

Different languages handle plurals differently. Use stringsdict files to manage plural forms properly:

// In your code
let messageFormat = NSLocalizedString("files_count", comment: "Number of files")
let message = String(format: messageFormat, fileCount)

// In stringsdict
<key>files_count</key>
<dict>
    <key>NSStringLocalizedFormatKey</key>
    <string>%#@files@</string>
    <key>files</key>
    <dict>
        <key>NSStringFormatSpecTypeKey</key>
        <string>NSStringPluralRuleType</string>
        <key>NSStringFormatValueTypeKey</key>
        <string>d</string>
        <key>zero</key>
        <string>No files</string>
        <key>one</key>
        <string>1 file</string>
        <key>other</key>
        <string>%d files</string>
    </dict>
</dict>

3. Date and Number Formatting

Always use formatters to handle dates and numbers:

let dateFormatter = DateFormatter()
dateFormatter.dateStyle = .medium
dateFormatter.timeStyle = .short
dateFormatter.locale = Locale.current

let numberFormatter = NumberFormatter()
numberFormatter.numberStyle = .decimal
numberFormatter.locale = Locale.current

Testing and Quality Assurance

1. Use Pseudo-localization

Test your UI with expanded text to ensure your layouts can handle different language lengths.

2. Test RTL Languages

If you support Arabic or Hebrew, ensure your UI works perfectly in right-to-left mode:

// Support RTL in your custom views
override var semanticContentAttribute: UISemanticContentAttribute {
    get {
        return .forceRightToLeft
    }
}

3. Automate Testing

Implement UI tests that run through your app in different languages to catch layout issues early.

Streamline Your Workflow

Managing localization manually can be time-consuming and error-prone. This is where tools like LocalizApp come in, offering features that make localization management efficient:

  • Central management of all localizable strings
  • Automatic detection of missing translations
  • One-click translation using DeepL or Google Translate
  • Easy copying between languages for similar regions
  • Support for strings, stringsdict, and xcstrings formats

Real-World Impact

Proper localization can dramatically impact your app’s success. Consider these statistics:

  • Apps with proper localization see up to 128% more downloads
  • Localized apps show 26% higher revenue per user
  • User retention is 29% higher for apps in users’ native languages

Conclusion

Implementing these best practices might seem overwhelming at first, but with the right tools and workflow, it becomes a straightforward process. LocalizApp helps you manage all aspects of localization efficiently, letting you focus on creating a great user experience for your global audience.

Start implementing these practices today and watch your app’s global reach expand. Download LocalizApp from the Mac App Store to streamline your localization workflow and ensure your app speaks your users’ language perfectly.