The short answer
Start with the languages of the countries where you already have users or where your category is large, localise the name, subtitle, keywords and screenshots first, and research keywords in each language rather than translating them. The App Store is available in 175 storefronts and supports metadata in 50 languages (Apple).
The 50 languages, and how storefronts use them
In March 2026 Apple added 11 languages, most of them for India: Bangla, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Slovenian, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. Each storefront has a default language and, often, additional supported languages (full list). A few examples:
| Storefront | Default language | Additional languages |
|---|---|---|
| United States | English (US) | Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish (Mexico), Vietnamese |
| Canada | English (Canada) | French (Canada) |
| Switzerland | German | English (U.K.), French, Italian |
| India | English (U.K.) | Hindi and ten more Indian languages |
| Türkiye | English (U.K.) | Turkish |
| Japan | Japanese | English (US) |
Apple notes that the language a person sees depends on several things: the App Store language for their location, their device settings, the languages you have added, and your primary language. If you have not localised for a language, they see your primary language.
Which languages to start with
- Where you already have users. App Analytics shows downloads by territory. Localising for people already finding you is the safest first step.
- Large storefronts with a non-English default, such as Japanese, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil) and Korean.
- Languages where your category is thin. Fewer localised competitors means less competition for the same words.
- Languages the app itself supports. A localised listing for an app that is not translated sets the wrong expectation, so say clearly in the description if the app is in English only.
What to localise, in order
- Name and subtitle, 30 characters each. These are indexed and seen in search.
- Keywords, 100 bytes. Research them in the language; do not translate your English list word for word. See keyword research.
- Screenshots, because their text is the most-read copy on the page.
- Description and promotional text.
- What’s New, with each update.
- App previews, creative assets and in-app purchase names, when you have the rest.
Keeping screenshots in step
Screenshot text is where localisation usually falls behind, because every language means a new set of images at every required size. A few things go wrong in predictable ways:
- Length. German and Finnish run long; a headline that fits in English can overflow.
- Direction. Arabic, Hebrew and Urdu read right to left, so layouts and arrows should flip.
- Fonts. Check that your typeface covers the script, or pick a system fallback deliberately.
- Tone. A playful line in one language can read as odd in another.
We built Roller, a free Figma plugin, for exactly this job: it localises screenshot text with AI into 39 languages, at iPhone and iPad sizes, in the tone of voice you choose. Check the exported sizes with our screenshot size checker.
Localising the app itself
The listing brings people in; the app has to keep them. In Xcode, string catalogs hold every translation, and Xcode 27 can use coding agents to add languages, update string catalogs and translate strings, with language-specific style guidelines (Apple). Review machine translations with a native speaker before you ship, especially anything about money or privacy.
Related: Roller, the free Figma plugin · App Store keyword research · ASO checklist