Mobile app translation – benefits and best practices

The 21st century is the era of globalization and multiculturalism. There has been an ongoing drive to move away from an English-centric world to one where local languages get their due importance. Although s universal language may have particular merits, an obsession towards such universalization can, in fact, wreck havoc and further push local languages into the periphery. The post-modern world is a witness to conscious efforts for increasing linguistic equality. Translation services, thus, have become a revolutionary tool to foster diversity and inclusivity within the domain of languages. The significance of native languages is profound as they create a safe space for the speakers and cater for a sense of belongingness.

The usage of local languages in business is a fool-proof stratagem to increase the venture's reach and garner more sales. A recent phenomenon that has taken the entire world by storm is mobile apps. Currently, 3.5 billion people own a smartphone, and the number will rise to 3.8 billion by 2021. These whopping statistics are a lucid indicator of the potential of mobile app businesses. With mobile apps comes the necessity of mobile app translation, which is the process of translating the app's contents to fit the language and socio-cultural setting of the target region.

Best practices for mobile app translation

1. Any sound mobile app localization includes converting the texts and tweaking the images, sound files, and other elements to fit the target region.

2. The layout of the translated app is as essential as the original app. When designing an app with localizing in mind, it is crucial to consider the length of the words as different languages take up different amounts of space. For example, the German language occupies 30 per cent more space than English. As such, an excellent mobile app translation is meticulously designed to use a single layout set for all the languages. Furthermore, it is advisable to keep some alternative layouts to fit the translated language in case of discrepancies in the original design.

3. In addition to word-to-word transposing, a well-localized mobile app conveys the meaning and nuances of the intended message of the flagship app. Therefore, keeping the context in mind is paramount.

4. App store optimization is another ground-breaking technique to ensure greater visibility to your localized app in the app store. A well-articulated mobile app translation should always be done by a professional as bots can sabotage the result.