Mobile app localization best practices for Android and iOS

Android和iOS的移动应用本地化最佳实践

2023-03-17 12:46 Smartcat

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It is estimated that there will be more than 18.2 billion active mobile devices in the world by 2025. As mobile technology becomes more advanced, this number will only continue to grow. With such a large and growing market, the mobile app industry is also booming. In 2022, it was estimated that there were more than 230 billion active mobile app users. This number is expected to grow in the coming years. However, as the mobile app market becomes more saturated, it is increasingly difficult for developers to stand out from the crowd. One way to do this is through localization. Localization can be a powerful tool. One researcher found that the localization of keywords in the iPhone boosted downloads of mobile applications by up to 767%. Keyword localization is a powerful way to boost mobile application downloads. What is mobile app localization? Localization is the process of adapting a product or service to a particular market or locale. This process typically involves translating the product or service into the local language, as well as other aspects such as localizing the user interface, changing characters, adapting the product or service to local cultural norms, and complying with local regulations. Localizing an app can be a complex process, as many elements contribute to making the app accessible and appealing to speakers of various languages. Technical considerations arise as well, such as whether users can download the app from the Google Play store or use it in multiple countries. Why is app localization necessary? The world is already hyperconnected and this connectivity is increasing all the time.. With the help of localization, you can make your app available to more potential customers and improve your chances of success. Here are some of the reasons to localize your app: If you want to target a larger user base, localization is an effective method. It allows you to target multiple regions and countries. This will improve your app’s visibility and reach far beyond the jurisdiction within which you are based. Localization can also improve user experience. If your app is available in the local language, they will be able to properly understand it. This will make it easier for them to use your app, and they will be more likely to recommend it to others. Localization can also boost your app store ranking. Users are more likely to find and engage with your listing if it's in their preferred language. If you want to lead the pack, localization is a must. With optimal localization, you will already set yourself apart from much of the competition that has a substandard or even non-existent localization strategy in place. As a result, you are better positioned to attract and retain customers in overseas markets. Localization is an excellent way to increase your revenue. It can position your app to get more traction, leading to more downloads. This in turn leads to greater in-app opportunities to generate income . How do you translate an app into different languages? Proper localization requires more than simply translating the text — it also requires understanding the cultural context of the target audience and making sure all elements of the app are consistent with that context. For instance, the words "complete" and "finish" have the same literal meaning in the English language. But they can have different contextual meanings, and one may be more appropriate for a given situation than the other. Inconsistent translations can lead to confusion among users, while inaccurate interpretation can damage a brand's reputation. An example is the word "delete" in English. This word is typically translated to "supprimer" in French. However, in some French mobile apps, the word "delete" is instead translated to "effacer." This can be confusing for users, as they may not know whether they're deleting something permanently or simply erasing it from their screen. To translate an app into different languages, there are several common approaches: Using an AI or machine learning translation service. This is usually the least expensive option. Hiring a human translator. This option is more accurate but can be expensive and time-consuming. Combining AI or machine translation with human post-editing. This can strike a balance of accuracy and affordability. Creating a new app specifically for each language. This can be costly, but it allows for greater flexibility and accuracy. What's the process for localizing a mobile application? When localization is needed for a mobile application, here's how to proceed. The first step is to gather the necessary information about the app and its target market. This includes the language and dialects spoken in the target region as well as early market research on competitor apps. Next, use the data to help you develop an Android or iOS app localization strategy - or both. This will outline what needs to be done to localize the app for the target region. After a strategy has been created, the next step is a localization specification that outlines how each element of the app will be localized, including but not limited to text, iconography, user interface elements, and soundtrack localization. Once you collect and document all of this information, it's time to start translating the app into the target language. This usually involves two phases: translation creation and validation. During translation creation, new translations will be created based on the translated specifications, while during validation, existing translations are checked against what was specified. Although localization can seem daunting, there is often already a version of an app available in the target language(s). With enough research and planning, localization for mobile applications can be straightforward and efficient. What's the average cost of localizing a mobile app? There is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to budgeting for mobile app localization. The price tag will vary depending on several factors, including the length and complexity of the app, the number of languages it needs to be translated into, and the specific requirements. However, there are some general tips that companies can use to make their localization budgets go further. One is to work with translators directly via a marketplace. This can help reduce the cost of localization by eliminating a third-party intermediary. Another tip is to use AI machine translation and post-editing to save on translation costs. This can be a great way to quickly and cheaply translate large amounts of text, with a human editor then ensuring its accuracy. Finally, it's important to remember that localization is an investment, not an expense. By investing in localization, you can open your mobile app to a global audience, which can help to increase your user base and ultimately your bottom line. Learn how to prove localization ROI What is the best way to translate an Android app? For translating your Android app into another language, there are a few different approaches you can take. When you localize your app, you create separate versions of your app UI and content for each language you want to support. Android Studio makes it easy to manage localized versions of your app by automatically generating the necessary file formats and directories. You can use the Android Emulator and select a different locale from the settings menu to test your localized app. This will simulate how your app will look and behave for users in different countries. Finally, when you're ready to release your localized app, be sure to format your strings correctly and use the appropriate pluralization rules for each language. This ensures that your app is user-friendly for all of your international users. How long does it take for iOS and Android app localization? Assuming you have all of your app's content ready to go, the app localization process itself shouldn't take more than a few weeks. The timeframe will depend largely on the size and complexity of your app, as well as on the number of languages you're localizing for. By working with pre-vetted translators on a centralized platform, you can streamline the process and get your app localized more quickly. Such a platform offers project management automation workflows that include quality assurance (QA) checks, post-editing, and proofreading. The result should be an accurate, high-quality translation. In addition, the platform should offer language quality assessment, helping you identify any areas where the translation is not up to par. By working with a platform that offers these features, you can be confident that your app localization will be handled efficiently and effectively. How do developers localize apps on Apple platforms? Apple provides several tools to help developers localize their apps. The most important is the Apple Glossary Compiler, which is a command-line tool that helps you manage your translated app development content. The Apple Glossary Compiler takes as input a file containing all of the strings in your app. It then outputs a file for each language you’re localizing to. These files contain the translated strings, which you can then use in your app. In addition to the Apple Glossary Compiler, Apple provides a tool called the IB String Extractor. This tool is designed to help you extract localized strings from your app’s storyboards and XIBS. Here's an overview of an iOS app localization example: First, the app's string files are translated into the target language. Once the strings are translated, the app's interface elements need to be adapted to the target language. This includes things like changing the text on buttons and menus and making sure that text is properly aligned in right-to-left languages. The app's assets also need to be localized by using app localization software. This includes elements like images, videos, and sound files. Finally, the app's metadata needs to be updated. This includes things like the app's name, description, and keywords. When localizing an app, developers need to consider the language of the app itself as well as any language-specific content that may be included. Any text or images within the app that are in a specific language will need to be translated for the app to be truly localized. In addition, an app that is designed for a specific region or country may need to be localized for different languages within that region or country. What is the best way to localize a mobile game? To localize a mobile game, you have a few aspects to consider. The most important factor is what market the game is being localized for. Different markets have different preferences for game content and design. One approach is to simply translate the game into the target market language. This can be effective for games that have very little text. However, it can also be a time-consuming and expensive process. Another approach is to create a new version of the game specifically for the target market. This can be a good option for games that are very popular in one market but not so much in others. An important consideration for mobile games is clear graphics. This is especially important for games that are heavily reliant on visual cues. If the graphics are too complex, they will be difficult to translate and may not make sense in other cultures. When localizing a mobile game, it's important to avoid culturally specific references. This includes things like jokes, references to pop culture, and anything else that might not make sense in another culture. Not only can these references be lost in translation, but they have the potential to offend players in other cultures. Process of mobile game localization To reach the widest audience possible, you'll need to support multiple languages. The most popular languages for mobile games are English, Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish. However, many other languages are spoken around the world. You'll need to decide which languages you want to support based on your target audience. Once you've decided which languages you want to support, you can start the localization process. The following are some game app localization best practices: The first step is to translate all of the text in your game. This includes any in-game dialogue, menus, and UI elements. You'll also need to translate any text that appears on marketing materials, such as screenshots and trailers. The next step is to adapt your game to the target cultures. This includes ensuring that your game is appropriate for different age groups and adjusting the available difficulty levels to account for different gaming skills. You'll also need to consider how your game's content may be received in different countries. Finally, you'll need to test your game in each language to make sure it is playable, comprehensible, and fun. This includes playtesting by native speakers. Only after your game has been thoroughly tested should you release it to the public. The benefits of localizing a mobile game By localizing your game, you can make it available to players in different regions and countries. This can help you reach new markets and grow your player base. Making your game available in their language allows them to have a more personal and immersive experience than they might otherwise. Localization can also make your game more accessible to players with different levels of language proficiency. Flo app case study: Streamlined processes help a small team make a difference For healthcare apps, accurately translated medical terms is crucial to ensure that users feel at ease when using the service. Flo Health Inc. has evolved into an AI-powered women’s health product and is a leading one-stop health product for women during their entire reproductive cycle. In 2019, Flo was the most downloaded app in the App Store’s Health & Fitness category and has more than 100 million users globally. They wanted continuously update their Flo app, therefore Flo Health Inc. came to Smartcat to improve their mobile app localization process. Flo Health Inc. had issues with speed and productivity, with the localization of their app often taking up to 50 steps. They would also receive complaints about the use of non-gender-neutral language (i.e. using he/she/him/her instead of they/them) and they were poorly represented on their app due to poor language consistency. Finally, they had a hard time finding translators who specialized in the related medical field. Flo app developers improved their localization process, reducing it from 38 steps to only six. They do so by: simplifying their new freelancer onboarding process using a Marketplace with many features making use of an AI that allows for continuous and seamless mobile app localization. Improved localization process – less end-to-end steps in the translation lifecycle 500% growth – They could translate around 300 new articles per month, versus the 50 they could handle before working in a centralized translation workspace where all contributors, including translators, could collaborate Better consistency and impressions from users – Less complaints regarding non-gender-neutral language and an improvement in overall consistency Which is the best translation utility to localize my mobile app? If you're looking for a translation solution that is both accurate and fast, Smartcat is the app localization option for you. With Smartcat's high translation accuracy, you can be confident that your content will be translated correctly. And with the ability to translate into 250 languages, you'll be able to reach a global market — while saving time and money by using Smartcat's technology. Sign up for Smartcat!
据估计,到2025年,全球将有超过182亿台活跃的移动设备。随着移动技术变得越来越先进,这个数字只会继续增长。 有了这样一个巨大且不断增长的市场,移动应用行业也在蓬勃发展。2022年,据估计有超过2300亿活跃的移动应用程序用户。预计这一数字在未来几年还会增长。然而,随着移动应用市场变得更加饱和,开发者越来越难以脱颖而出。一种方法是通过本地化。 本地化可能是一个强大的工具。一名研究人员发现,iPhone中关键词的本地化将移动应用程序的下载量提高了767%。关键词本地化是提高移动应用下载量的一种强有力的方式。 什么是手机app本地化? 本地化是使产品或服务适应特定市场或地区的过程。这一过程通常包括将产品或服务翻译成当地语言,以及其他方面,如本地化用户界面、更改字符、使产品或服务适应当地文化规范以及遵守当地法规。 本地化应用程序可能是一个复杂的过程,因为许多因素有助于使应用程序可访问并吸引各种语言的使用者。 技术上的考虑也出现了,比如用户是否可以从谷歌Play商店下载应用程序,或者在多个国家使用它。 为什么应用本地化是必要的? 世界已经是超连接的,而且这种连接一直在增加..在本地化的帮助下,您可以将您的应用程序提供给更多的潜在客户,并提高您的成功机会。 以下是本地化应用程序的一些原因: 如果你想瞄准更大的用户群,本地化是一个有效的方法。它允许你瞄准多个地区和国家。这将提高你的应用程序的可见性,并远远超出你所在的司法管辖区。 本地化也可以改善用户体验。如果你的应用程序有本地语言版本,他们将能够正确理解。这将使他们更容易使用你的应用程序,他们也更有可能向他人推荐它。 本地化也可以提升你的应用商店排名。如果你的列表是他们喜欢的语言,用户更有可能找到并参与其中。 如果你想领先,本地化是必须的。通过优化本地化,您将从许多具有不合标准甚至不存在本地化策略的竞争中脱颖而出。因此,您可以更好地吸引和留住海外市场的客户。 本地化是增加收入的绝佳方式。它可以定位你的应用程序以获得更多的牵引力,从而带来更多的下载。这反过来会带来更大的应用内创收机会。 如何将一个应用程序翻译成不同的语言? 正确的本地化需要的不仅仅是简单地翻译文本,还需要理解目标受众的文化背景,并确保应用程序的所有元素都与该背景一致。例如,单词“complete”和“finish”在英语中具有相同的字面意思。但是它们可以有不同的上下文含义,其中一个可能比另一个更适合特定的情况。 不一致的翻译会导致用户混淆,而不准确的解释会损害品牌的声誉。一个例子是英语中的“删除”一词。这个词在法语中通常被翻译成“supprimer”。然而,在一些法语手机应用程序中,“delete”一词被翻译成“effacer”。这可能会让用户感到困惑,因为他们可能不知道他们是永久删除了一些东西,还是简单地从屏幕上删除了它。 要将应用程序翻译成不同的语言,有几种常见的方法: 使用人工智能或机器学习翻译服务。这通常是最便宜的选择。 雇佣一名人工翻译。这种选择更准确,但可能昂贵且耗时。 将AI或机器翻译与人工后期编辑相结合。这可以在准确性和可负担性之间取得平衡。 专门为每种语言创建新的应用程序。这可能成本很高,但它允许更大的灵活性和准确性。 本地化移动应用程序的流程是什么? 当移动应用程序需要本地化时,下面是如何进行的。 第一步是收集关于应用程序及其目标市场的必要信息。这包括目标地区的语言和方言,以及对竞争对手应用程序的早期市场研究。 接下来,使用这些数据来帮助你制定Android或iOS应用本地化策略——或者两者兼而有之。这将概述需要做什么来本地化应用程序的目标地区。 创建策略后,下一步是本地化规范,概述应用程序的每个元素将如何本地化,包括但不限于文本、图标、用户界面元素和音轨本地化。 一旦你收集并记录了所有这些信息,就该开始将应用程序翻译成目标语言了。这通常包括两个阶段:翻译创建和验证。 在翻译创建期间,将根据翻译的规范创建新的翻译,而在验证期间,将根据指定的内容检查现有的翻译。 尽管本地化看起来令人望而生畏,但通常已经有目标语言版本的应用程序可用。通过充分的研究和规划,移动应用程序的本地化可以变得简单而高效。 本地化一个移动应用的平均成本是多少? 在移动应用本地化的预算方面,没有放之四海而皆准的答案。价格标签会因几个因素而异,包括应用程序的长度和复杂性,需要翻译成的语言数量,以及具体要求。然而,有一些通用的提示,公司可以用来使他们的本地化预算走得更远。一种是通过市场直接与翻译合作。这有助于通过消除第三方中介来降低本地化成本。 另一个小技巧是使用AI机器翻译和后期编辑来节省翻译成本。这是一种快速、廉价地翻译大量文本的好方法,然后由人工编辑来确保其准确性。 最后,重要的是要记住本地化是一项投资,而不是一项支出。通过投资本地化,你可以向全球受众开放你的移动应用,这有助于增加你的用户群,最终增加你的底线。 了解如何证明本地化ROI 翻译Android应用程序的最佳方式是什么? 要将您的Android应用程序翻译成另一种语言,您可以采取几种不同的方法。 本地化应用程序时,您可以为要支持的每种语言创建单独版本的应用程序UI和内容。Android Studio通过自动生成必要的文件格式和目录,使管理应用程序的本地化版本变得容易。 您可以使用Android模拟器,并从设置菜单中选择不同的区域设置来测试您的本地化应用程序。这将为不同国家的用户模拟你的应用程序的外观和行为。 最后,当您准备发布本地化应用程序时,请确保正确格式化字符串,并为每种语言使用适当的复数规则。这可以确保您的应用程序对所有国际用户都是用户友好的。 iOS和Android应用本地化需要多长时间? 假设你已经准备好了应用程序的所有内容,应用程序本地化过程本身应该不会超过几周。时间框架将在很大程度上取决于你的应用程序的大小和复杂程度,以及你本地化的语言数量。 通过在一个集中的平台上与经过预先审查的翻译人员合作,您可以简化流程并更快地本地化您的应用程序。这样的平台提供了项目管理自动化工作流,包括质量保证(QA)检查、后期编辑和校对。 结果应该是准确、高质量的翻译。此外,该平台应该提供语言质量评估,帮助您识别翻译不达标的任何地方。 通过使用提供这些功能的平台,您可以确信您的应用本地化将得到高效和有效的处理。 开发者如何在苹果平台上本地化应用? 苹果提供了几个工具来帮助开发者本地化他们的应用。最重要的是Apple Glossary编译器,这是一个命令行工具,可以帮助您管理翻译后的应用程序开发内容。 Apple Glossary编译器将包含应用程序中所有字符串的文件作为输入。然后,它会为您要本地化的每种语言输出一个文件。这些文件包含翻译后的字符串,您可以在应用程序中使用这些字符串。 除了Apple Glossary编译器之外,Apple还提供了一个名为IB String Extractor的工具。该工具旨在帮助您从应用程序的故事板和xib中提取本地化字符串。 以下是iOS应用程序本地化示例的概述: 首先,应用程序的字符串文件被翻译成目标语言。 一旦字符串被翻译,应用程序的界面元素需要适应目标语言。这包括更改按钮和菜单上的文本,并确保文本在从右到左的语言中正确对齐。 应用程序的资产也需要使用应用程序本地化软件进行本地化。这包括图像、视频和声音文件等元素。 最后,应用程序的元数据需要更新。这包括应用程序的名称、描述和关键字等内容。 在本地化应用程序时,开发人员需要考虑应用程序本身的语言以及可能包含的任何特定于语言的内容。 应用程序中任何特定语言的文本或图像都需要翻译,应用程序才能真正本地化。 此外,为特定地区或国家设计的应用程序可能需要针对该地区或国家的不同语言进行本地化。 本地化手机游戏的最好方法是什么? 要本地化一款手机游戏,你需要考虑几个方面。 最重要的因素是游戏本地化的市场。不同的市场对游戏内容和设计有不同的偏好。 一种方法是简单地将游戏翻译成目标市场语言。这对于文本很少的游戏很有效。然而,这也可能是一个耗时且昂贵的过程。 另一种方法是专门为目标市场创建新版本的游戏。对于在一个市场非常受欢迎但在其他市场不太受欢迎的游戏来说,这可能是一个很好的选择。 手机游戏的一个重要考虑因素是清晰的图形。这对于严重依赖视觉提示的游戏尤其重要。如果图形太复杂,它们将很难翻译,在其他文化中可能没有意义。 在本地化手机游戏时,避免特定文化的引用是很重要的。这包括笑话、引用流行文化以及其他在另一种文化中可能没有意义的东西。这些参考不仅会在翻译中丢失,而且有可能冒犯其他文化中的玩家。 手机游戏本地化过程 为了接触到尽可能广泛的受众,您需要支持多种语言。手机游戏最流行的语言是英语、中文、日语和西班牙语。然而,世界上还有许多其他语言。您需要根据您的目标受众来决定您想要支持哪些语言。 一旦你决定了你想要支持的语言,你就可以开始本地化过程了。以下是一些游戏应用程序本地化的最佳实践: 第一步是翻译游戏中的所有文本。这包括任何游戏中的对话、菜单和UI元素。你还需要翻译营销材料上出现的任何文本,比如截图和预告片。 下一步是让你的游戏适应目标文化。这包括确保您的游戏适合不同的年龄组,并调整可用的难度级别,以适应不同的游戏技能。你还需要考虑不同国家会如何接收你的游戏内容。 最后,你需要用每种语言测试你的游戏,以确保它是可玩的、可理解的和有趣的。这包括由母语人士进行的游戏测试。只有在你的游戏经过彻底测试后,你才应该向公众发布它。 手机游戏本地化的好处 通过本地化你的游戏,你可以让不同地区和国家的玩家使用它。这可以帮助你进入新的市场,扩大你的玩家基础。用他们的语言提供你的游戏可以让他们有更个性化和身临其境的体验。 本地化也可以让不同语言水平的玩家更容易接触到你的游戏。 Flo应用案例研究:简化流程帮助小团队有所作为 对于医疗保健应用程序来说,准确翻译的医学术语对于确保用户在使用服务时感到放心至关重要。Flo健康公司已经发展成为一种人工智能驱动的女性健康产品,是女性整个生殖周期的领先一站式健康产品。2019年,Flo是App Store健康和健身类别中下载量最大的应用,在全球拥有超过1亿用户。他们希望不断更新他们的Flo应用程序,因此Flo健康公司来到Smartcat来改进他们的移动应用程序本地化流程。 Flo健康公司在速度和生产力方面存在问题,他们的应用程序的本地化通常需要多达50个步骤。他们还会收到关于使用非性别中立语言的投诉(即使用他/她/他/她而不是他们/他们),由于语言一致性差,他们在应用程序中的代表性很差。最后,他们很难找到专门从事相关医学领域的翻译。 Flo应用程序开发人员改进了他们的本地化流程,将其从38个步骤减少到只有6个。他们通过以下方式做到这一点: 简化新的自由职业者入职流程 使用具有多种功能的市场 利用人工智能实现连续无缝的移动应用本地化。 改进的本地化流程-翻译生命周期中的端到端步骤更少 500%的增长——他们每月可以翻译大约300篇新文章,而在集中的翻译工作区工作之前,他们可以处理50篇新文章,在集中的翻译工作区中,包括翻译人员在内的所有投稿人都可以进行协作 更好的一致性和用户的印象——对非性别中立语言的抱怨减少,整体一致性提高 本地化我的移动应用程序的最佳翻译工具是什么? 如果您正在寻找既准确又快速的翻译解决方案,Smartcat是您的应用本地化选项。 凭借Smartcat的高翻译准确性,您可以放心,您的内容将被正确翻译。凭借翻译成250种语言的能力,您将能够进入全球市场,同时通过使用Smartcat的技术节省时间和金钱。 报名参加智能猫!

以上中文文本为机器翻译,存在不同程度偏差和错误,请理解并参考英文原文阅读。

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