Month: July 2023
Mobile App Localization: Best Practices and Tools
Mobile App Localization is a game-changer, folks. Yet when it’s time to globalize their app, many developers hit a wall.
The post Mobile App Localization: Best Practices and Tools appeared first on ReadWrite.
Mobile App Localization is a game-changer, folks. Yet when it’s time to globalize their app, many developers hit a wall. The challenge? Mobile App Localization.
Most developers lack knowledge of how to approach mobile app localization. This very hurdle separates the small-time developer from the global player. If you’re unsure about localizing your app effectively, reaching this level seems like an uphill battle.
Navigating localization isn’t easy; trust me on that one!
I recently spoke with a promising developer who tried his hand at localization…only for users in Spain to uninstall his app because they found specific phrases offensive due to incorrect translation.
This experience has made him hesitant about attempting localization again. He worries that his user base may remain confined to countries where English is spoken.
No surprise there.
What is Mobile App Localization?
In mobile app development, a term frequently used is ‘mobile app localization.’ But what does it mean? Mobile app localization refers to adapting applications in different regions and languages. It’s not just about translating text; it involves considering cultural nuances such as symbols, colors, and images.
This process can significantly enhance the user experience (UX), increase engagement rates, and boost downloads from Google Play Store and Apple App Store by improving app store page visibility through keyword localization efforts on these platforms’ search engines.
The Intricacies of Localizing Mobile Apps
Localizing your mobile apps goes beyond mere language translation – many factors are at play here. One key aspect includes understanding how date formats vary around the globe: some countries follow the day/month/year format, while others prefer the month/day/year format.
Cultural adaptation involves changing UI/UX elements based on reading direction or replacing imagery/icons with culturally appropriate ones.
Linguistic Adaptation: Resource files containing translation keys must be converted into translated strings according to local regulations & customs.
A Glimpse Into The Process Of Mobile Application Localization
To ensure successful full-app-localization, you must first devise a comprehensive plan outlining every phase of this project:
Determining target languages & regions,
Analyzing strategies local competitors use before finally starting translations resource file(s).
Your goal should consistently be delivering localized experiences without compromising performance speed, which often requires using tools like ‘Mobile SDK‘ for managing language assets efficiently, allowing easy swapping between translations depending upon users’ preferences/settings, thereby providing a truly localized experience irrespective of the device model/version used by end-users.
Lastly, quality assurance testing ensures no bugs/errors exist post-translation. It results in a flawless UX regardless of the location/language chosen, thus maximizing potential returns from the minimum viable localization effort invested initially during the development stage.
Benefits of Mobile App Localization
The mobile app localization process is a powerful strategy for businesses seeking to extend their reach and engagement. This technique not only makes your app accessible to a broader audience but also offers several other benefits.
Increased App Visibility and Downloads
A localized app can significantly boost its visibility on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Translating your app store content into multiple languages opens up new markets where users are more likely to download an application in their native language.
This enhanced visibility directly leads to increased downloads. Research has demonstrated that apps supporting multiple languages get downloaded substantially more than those not.
Better User Experience (UX)
User experience lies at the core of any successful mobile application, with localizing your app playing a crucial role here. When users interact with an application in their native language, they feel more comfortable navigating through it, and understanding its features better, ultimately leading them to become loyal customers.
In addition, localization efforts should also consider cultural nuances beyond just text translation – including elements like date formats or currency symbols – ensuring the user feels truly catered for within their environment.
Compliance with Local Regulations
In certain regions worldwide, strict regulations about digital content are made available in local languages. Therefore, localizing your mobile apps to target these rules can help avoid legal complications while increasing trust among your app users, who appreciate seeing familiar assets used throughout the interface.
Growth Opportunities & Competitive Advantage
A well-executed full-app localization strategy gives companies access to international markets they might otherwise struggle to reach due to linguistic barriers. These untapped audiences represent significant growth opportunities for businesses willing to invest time and resources in continuous localization and creating experiences across all platforms, including Android and iOS devices.
Another benefit is gaining a competitive advantage over rivals who may not have taken steps towards such initiatives, providing a unique selling point to differentiate yourself from the competition and boosting the overall brand image perception among the global consumer base.
Testing & Quality Assurance for Mobile App Localization
Maintaining quality standards in your localized iOS app localization or your Android app localization can seem daunting, but with the right approach and tools at hand, it’s absolutely manageable. Here are some crucial steps to ensure your mobile application localization meets all the proper app store localization criteria.
Test Across Multiple Languages
The first step is testing across multiple languages. This means translating content into different target market languages and checking how well these translations work within the context of your app UI.
You must ensure translated strings fit nicely within buttons or menu items without breaking the layout or causing confusion among native speakers. IBM suggests using automated testing tools which support multiple languages as an efficient way of achieving this goal.
Check Compatibility on Different Devices
Your localized experience should be equally enjoyable regardless if users access it from an Android phone, a tablet, an iPhone, or a desktop computer. This requires thorough compatibility checks on various devices and operating systems.
Android Developers Guide, for instance, recommends creating alternative resource files explicitly tailored for specific screen sizes or orientations.
Create device-specific layouts – Your app interface might look great on one device, but what about others? Ensure you have optimized designs ready for all possible screens.
Prioritize popular models – While aiming at universal accessibility, focusing more resources on each region’s most commonly used devices is practical. You can get insights from Google Play Store analytics.
Aim high and low – Don’t forget about older OS versions. They still hold a significant user base, especially outside developed markets. So while leveraging the latest features, test backward compatibility as well.
Don’t Neglect Local Regulations Compliance
Finally, no matter how perfect language assets may appear, the last thing you want is to get pulled out from the App Store due to non-compliance issues. Remember, GDPR, COPPA, etc.; all apply here just like they do elsewhere.
Tools for Mobile App Localization
The complexity of mobile app localization demands various tools to effectively translate content, manage translations, and ensure consistency across multiple languages. The following are essential tools to aid the full and seamless mobile app localization process.
Translation Management Systems (TMS)
A Translation Management System (TMS) is a powerful resource for organizing and optimizing the translation process. It allows you to centralize your language assets, such as resource files and translated strings, making them easily accessible to all team members involved in the project.
TMS also facilitates collaboration between translators, app developers, and other stakeholders by providing features like workflow management and real-time updates on translation progress. Some popular TMS include Transifex or Crowdin, which have been instrumental in numerous successful localizing mobile app efforts.
Machine Translation Services
Solutions like Google Translate API or Microsoft Translator Text API provide instant automated translations into numerous target languages. While they may not always deliver perfect results due to nuances in native language expressions, these services serve as a good starting point before fine-tuning with human translators who are native speakers themselves.
Besides translating text from one language to another, these APIs offer additional functionalities such as detecting source language or integrating with existing apps via SDKs, thus adding value towards achieving minimum viable localization.
User Experience Testing Tools
To ensure a localized experience resonates well with users, it’s important to not just focus on text but also test user interface elements, layout, cultural appropriateness, etc. Using User Experience testing platforms allows you to observe how users interact and navigate through the app, thereby revealing potential issues and improving overall usability. This is where solutions like Lookback.io come in handy.
Cultural Consultation Services
Certain aspects might require a deeper understanding of specific contexts beyond mere translation. For this, consulting agencies specialize in helping businesses adapt their products to different cultures. They provide strategic advice based on comprehensive research about the world’s various societies, proving beneficial when tackling complex tasks and ensuring a smooth transition toward a global audience.
App Store Optimization (ASO) Tools
A crucial part of an effective localization strategy is ensuring visibility in both the Apple and Google Play stores. ASO includes achieving higher rankings by optimizing your keywords, descriptions, screenshots, reviews, etc., which is vital.
Several tools, including Sensor Tower and Mobile Action, are available in the market that helps track performance, competitor analysis, keyword optimization, and more. Ultimately, the aim is to make your app discoverable to relevant audiences, thus driving downloads and increasing reach.
Handling large volumes, especially dynamic ones, becomes more straightforward with Drupal, WordPress, and Joomla systems. CMSs enable you to create, edit, and publish content in diverse formats. Furthermore, many built-in plugins support the ease of transition towards supporting multiple languages, facilitating a smoother journey for end-users every step of the way.
Testing & Quality Assurance for Mobile App Localization
To succeed in the rapidly evolving mobile app development arena, an app localization tool is necessary for companies wishing to expand their reach internationally. But how can you ensure that your localized app meets quality standards? The answer lies in comprehensive testing across multiple languages and devices.
The Power of Localization Testing
Localization testing acts like a safety net, catching errors or oversights during translation. It’s about more than checking translations – verifying user interface (UI) elements, ensuring cultural appropriateness, and ensuring language switching works seamlessly.
Pillars of Effective Localization Testing
A successful localization test hinges on several factors:
User Interface: Ensuring translated text fits within UI components without disrupting layout or design aesthetics.
Languages: Confirming accurate support for multiple languages and seamless transition between them based on device settings.
Cultural Sensitivity: Evaluating content against local customs, values, and norms to avoid causing offense or misunderstanding among target users.
Hurdles in the Localization Testing Journey
Different character sets may cause display issues due to operating system compatibility variances or screen resolution differences, especially when comparing Android devices with Apple products.
Misinterpretation from direct word-to-word translations could distort the intended message conveyed by your app content, resulting in confusion among end-users.
A popular translation management platform offers features such as glossaries, which maintain consistency across translations, a history log tracking changes over time, and integration into agile workflows.
By incorporating rigorous quality assurance measures throughout your project, you increase chances for success and build stronger relationships by effectively providing truly global products catering to diverse global market audience needs.
FAQs: Mobile App Localization: Best Practices and Tools
How do I localize a mobile app?
To localize an app, you must translate its content into different languages, adapt it for cultural differences, and optimize the user interface for various markets.
What is mobile localization?
Mobile localization involves adapting a mobile application to meet different global target markets’ local language and cultural requirements.
How do I internationalize an app?
You can internationalize an app by designing it with global audiences in mind from inception. This includes a localization platform using locale-neutral data formats and preparing your codebase for translation.
What is a locale in mobile app development?
A ‘locale’ refers to a device’s geographic or linguistic region settings that influence how information is presented within applications. It includes aspects like language, date format, currency, etc.
Key Takeaways
Mobile app localization is a game-changer. It’s your app-localized passport to global markets.
You’ve learned the ins and outs of it, from understanding its essence to reaping its benefits.
The best practices we discussed? They’re your roadmap for success in this journey.
Cultural considerations, language nuances, user experience optimization – they all matter—a lot.
And those tools we talked about? Your allies in navigating the complex terrain of localization.
Translation management systems, machine translation services, content management systems – they’re here to make things easier for you.
We also touched on testing and quality assurance. Remember them as your last defense against possible missteps or oversights during the localization app translation process.
Mobile App Localization is no longer an option; expanding reach and engagement globally is necessary.
At TechAhead, we are award-winning mobile app developers and the #1 company for all your web apps, app store optimization, and a solid mobile app localization strategy.
Featured Image Credit: Photo by Eduardo Rosas; Pexels; Thank you!
The post Mobile App Localization: Best Practices and Tools appeared first on ReadWrite.
Oh, hi Barbie! Here’s when to expect Barbie on Max
After the big box office success of ‘Barbenheimer’, when can we expect to stream Barbie and which streaming service will we be able to watch it on?
If you’re wondering when will Barbie be available to stream at home, then unfortunately nothing concrete has been revealed yet. But we can make some educated guesses based on previous release schedules.
While Warner. Bros Discovery (WBD) has not yet made any official announcement, given that it owns Max (formerly known as HBO Max), it is almost certain that we can expect Barbie to stream on the service when it finishes its box office run.
So, if you’ve been considering which of the best streaming services to sign up for, then this could tempt you to become a Max subscriber. Unless, you’re in the Oppenheimer camp, then you might want to look to Peacock instead.
When will Barbie be released on Max?
Margot Robbie’s Barbie movie was released in cinemas on July 21, using this as a date to work forward from we can look at previous WBD release schedules to start to predict when it might be available. So, if recent streaming release schedules are anything to go by, then we could expect Barbie to arrive on Max as soon as September 27.
This is based on recent WBD movie launches. Looking at box office successes like Creed 3 and Evil Dead Rise – which premiered in cinemas on March 3 and April 21 2023, respectively, and were later released on streaming services on June 9 and June 23 2023 – we can expect that Barbie might take anywhere between 64 and 98 days to land on Max.
With Shazam! Fury of the Gods, for instance, the movie started streaming 68 days after its theater premier – although that was notably a flop after receiving bad reviews. But it marked a big switch up from when WBD had been releasing films simultaneously on HBO Max and theaters during the pandemic. It has since gone back to giving its blockbusters some solid box office time before making them available to stream.
A fall release makes sense for Barbie, then – probably later in September, or early October. But this could easily be changed like the many shows and films that have been affected by the writers’ strike. Amid the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes, many release schedules have been tweaked – just recently Hulu and Sony delayed new movie and TV show releases over the strikes – however, it’s unlikely Barbie will be delayed. If anything, it might come to the streamer soon, because there may be a lack of original new Max movies and shows.
Why we can’t wait to explore Barbie Land at home
This summer has been a whirlwind of box office blockbusters, with Barbie raking in $356 million in its opening weekend, making it the biggest debut ever for a film directed by a women and completely revitalizing the cinema.
It’s been a big hit with all types of audiences for Greta Gerwig’s (who also wrote and directed Lady Bird and Little Women) hysterically earnest and entertaining approach to a movie about a toy that was a big part of so many youngsters’ childhoods. The new movie even surpassed Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer in the opening week, and after seeing both I can see why it has more mass appeal.
I unfortunately wasn’t able to see Oppenheimer in the IMAX but I did watch Barbie in Dolby’s screening room in Soho Square to much delight – it made Ryan Gosling’s musical number (which was already filled with big Kenergy) come to life with Dolby Atmos surround sound. It’s likely to make the cut for one of the best Max movies.
Best Internet Providers in Columbia, South Carolina – CNET
This famously hot Soda City has a variety of internet connection options. In this guide, CNET explores your choices, from the cheapest to the fastest.
This famously hot Soda City has a variety of internet connection options. In this guide, CNET explores your choices, from the cheapest to the fastest.
8BitDo’s first mechanical keyboard is a love letter to the NES
The N Edition and Fami Edition of the keyboard. | Image: 8BitDo
Nintendo doesn’t make keyboards, but 8BitDo’s Retro Mechanical Keyboard might be the next best thing. The $99.99 device comes in two color schemes: an “N Edition,” which has the same gray color scheme the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) had in the West, and a red and white “Fami Edition” that draws obvious inspiration from the Japanese Famicom. Preorders open today, and the keyboard is expected to ship on August 10th.
The keyboard comes with a pair of “Super Buttons” — giant red versions of the buttons found on the original NES controller. They’re programmable and come equipped with clicky Gateron Green switches that should make them feel suitably chunky to press. The Super Buttons connect to the keyboard via a 3.5mm cable, and there are additional ports on the keyboard for connecting up to three more pairs of buttons, available for $19.99 per pair.
Image: 8BitDo
The keyboard comes with a pair of programmable “Super Buttons.”
Image: 8BitDo
Both the keyboard and buttons are equipped with clicky mechanical switches.
The keyboard itself appears to use a fairly standard tenkeyless layout, which omits the numpad but otherwise uses standard-size keys. Its Kailh Box White V2 switches are hot-swappable in case you want to replace them with something less loud and clicky. There’s a volume dial on the top left of the keyboard, next to a selector that changes the keyboard between its two wireless connection modes — Bluetooth and 2.4GHz via a dongle. The keyboard can also be used wired over USB.
8BitDo’s press release advertises that the keyboard’s battery offers 200 hours of usage per four hours of charge, or roughly five weeks if you’re using it five days a week for eight hours a day. I’ll be interested to see how that claim holds up in practice given 8BitDo’s 2,000mAh battery is half the size of what you’ll find in the Keychron Q1 Pro, which offers up to 300 hours of usage with its RGB turned off. There’s no sign of RGB in 8BitDo’s keyboard, though we’ve followed up for confirmation.
Image: 8BitDo
The keyboard’s switches are hot-swappable.
Image: 8BitDo
Its tenkeyless design means you don’t get a numpad with the keyboard.
You’re unlikely to be surprised to hear that this isn’t the first time someone’s made a Nintendo-themed keyboard. There’s this Megalodon Console 64 that’s designed to look like a Nintendo Switch, and the Durgod Fusion keyboard is available in a black, red, and gray NES-style color scheme. Rival gaming accessory manufacturer Hyperkin also produced a mechanical keyboard with a Nintendo color scheme, although it was purple like the US’s SNES variant.
If you’re looking for a mouse to pair with the keyboard, then 8BitDo has you covered with its NES-themed mouse from 2019.
The N Edition and Fami Edition of the keyboard. | Image: 8BitDo
Nintendo doesn’t make keyboards, but 8BitDo’s Retro Mechanical Keyboard might be the next best thing. The $99.99 device comes in two color schemes: an “N Edition,” which has the same gray color scheme the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) had in the West, and a red and white “Fami Edition” that draws obvious inspiration from the Japanese Famicom. Preorders open today, and the keyboard is expected to ship on August 10th.
The keyboard comes with a pair of “Super Buttons” — giant red versions of the buttons found on the original NES controller. They’re programmable and come equipped with clicky Gateron Green switches that should make them feel suitably chunky to press. The Super Buttons connect to the keyboard via a 3.5mm cable, and there are additional ports on the keyboard for connecting up to three more pairs of buttons, available for $19.99 per pair.
Image: 8BitDo
The keyboard comes with a pair of programmable “Super Buttons.”
Image: 8BitDo
Both the keyboard and buttons are equipped with clicky mechanical switches.
The keyboard itself appears to use a fairly standard tenkeyless layout, which omits the numpad but otherwise uses standard-size keys. Its Kailh Box White V2 switches are hot-swappable in case you want to replace them with something less loud and clicky. There’s a volume dial on the top left of the keyboard, next to a selector that changes the keyboard between its two wireless connection modes — Bluetooth and 2.4GHz via a dongle. The keyboard can also be used wired over USB.
8BitDo’s press release advertises that the keyboard’s battery offers 200 hours of usage per four hours of charge, or roughly five weeks if you’re using it five days a week for eight hours a day. I’ll be interested to see how that claim holds up in practice given 8BitDo’s 2,000mAh battery is half the size of what you’ll find in the Keychron Q1 Pro, which offers up to 300 hours of usage with its RGB turned off. There’s no sign of RGB in 8BitDo’s keyboard, though we’ve followed up for confirmation.
Image: 8BitDo
The keyboard’s switches are hot-swappable.
Image: 8BitDo
Its tenkeyless design means you don’t get a numpad with the keyboard.
You’re unlikely to be surprised to hear that this isn’t the first time someone’s made a Nintendo-themed keyboard. There’s this Megalodon Console 64 that’s designed to look like a Nintendo Switch, and the Durgod Fusion keyboard is available in a black, red, and gray NES-style color scheme. Rival gaming accessory manufacturer Hyperkin also produced a mechanical keyboard with a Nintendo color scheme, although it was purple like the US’s SNES variant.
If you’re looking for a mouse to pair with the keyboard, then 8BitDo has you covered with its NES-themed mouse from 2019.
This dangerous Android malware could steal passwords and other data just by using images
Don’t take photos of your passwords, guys, malware can read those.
Cybersecurity researchers from Trend Micro have uncovered two malware variants built for the Android system, one of which is able to steal information stored on photos and pictures.
In a report published on the company’s website, it was said that CheeryBlos, and FakeTrade, two malware families, were recently discovered, with one even making its way to Google Play, Android’s official app repository.
The researchers that discovered the apps concluded that they both belong to the same threat actor, given that they use the same network infrastructure and the same certificates. These malware variants were hiding in different apps, including an app called SynthNet that was uploaded to Google Play. According to a BleepingComputer report, it had some 1,000 downloads before being removed from the store.
But this isn’t the only way the apps were distributed. The threat actors used common distribution tactics, such as social media channels, or phishing websites. They would promote the apps on Telegram, Twitter, or YouTube, presenting them as AI tools or cryptocurrency miners. Some of the apps are called GPTalk, Happy Miner, or Robot999. Suffice to say, if you have any of these installed on your endpoints, remove them immediately.
The goal of the malware was to steal valuable data from the compromised devices, including any cryptocurrencies the users might have sitting in mobile app wallets. One of the ways the malware did that was by overlaying any crypto apps with an invisible (or fake) user interface where the user, should they enter their credentials, would hand them over to the attackers. The other method was by hijacking the clipboard. If a user copies a crypto wallet, the malware will replace it in the clipboard with another address belonging to the attackers. So when the victim pastes the address, unless they double-check it character for character, they’ll end up sending their money to the crooks.
Another method was through optical character recognition or OCR. Most high-end smartphones these days have that feature, which allows the device to “read” the text on a photo or an image. It’s useful when, for example, needing to translate a menu while dining in a foreign country. The crooks used OCR to have the malware scan the photo gallery for any relevant images and pull the data to the C2.
While the crooks don’t seem to target any specific region, the victims mostly reside in Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Uganda, and Mexico, the researchers concluded.
Analysis: Why does it matter?
Cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin and Ether, are still widely popular around the globe, and with the next Bitcoin halving coming up approximately in May next year, many people are already “stacking up” in anticipation of the possible next bull run which could see Bitcoin shoot past $100,000 per coin. This leaves many people, especially new entrants to the market, vulnerable to scams and hacks.
The “problem” with cryptocurrencies is that once a transfer is initiated, it’s impossible to reverse (unless it’s being made from a third-party such as a crypto exchange, which might stop it on time, if alerted to a possible fraud). The second “problem” is in the way most cryptos are secured these days – the majority of crypto wallets come with so-called seed phrases (also called recovery phrases or mnemonic phrases) – a string of 12 or 24 words that can be used to restore a wallet, in case it’s lost or the password is forgotten.
While the designers insist people write these words down on a piece of paper somewhere and store it safely (and not digitally), many people end up taking photos of their seed phrases and storing them on their smartphones or cloud services. If an OCR-enabled piece of malware finds these photos, the crooks can easily take over the wallet and empty it out in seconds.
What have others said about this malware?
In the comments section on ArsTechnica, some users discussed how malware like this would never pass on an Apple device. “Reasons why I’ll never leave Apple. I don’t need an AV scanner on my phone. I don’t need to side-load,” says one of the comments. “For one thing, lack of sideloading makes it effectively impossible to distribute malicious apps. You won’t find crap like this in the AppStore,” says another. “iOS APIs do not even allow the developers to pull off anything like this – Android malware rarely uses vulnerabilities. They pull off this stuff just by using standard APIs. Apple’s approach to iPhone as (somewhat restricted) app platform has been an incredible success for us, the users. The same can be said for gaming consoles: zero malware.”
Others pointed out how it’s still the human factor that makes all the difference: “For this to work, it required accessibility permissions. This is a more involved process than other permissions. I’m trying it with a legitimate app, and the app has to give you instructions about what to do in settings, and then launch the setting app to a screen that’s reasonably close,” they said. “You cannot accidentally click through this.”
Finally, those who weren’t interested in the perpetual Apple vs. Android war shifted their attention to the impotence of mobile antivirus programs:
“It sounds like even Google’s Play Protect wasn’t able to detect the malware in these apps since Trend Micro is the one reporting it,” says one user. “First submitted on VirusTotal on 2023-06-20 at 16:09:16 UTC, which means over a month has passed and the bad app is still not detected by the vast majority of AVs,” says another.
Go deeper
If you want to learn more about Android malware and how to stay safe, make sure to read our guide for the best Android antivirus apps, and best Android phones in general. Also, read our guide on best firewalls, and best ID theft protection around.
DealShare co-founder & CEO Vineet Rao steps down as the social commerce startup faces growth challenges
India’s social e-commerce DealShare co-founder and CEO Vineet Rao has stepped down from his role effective immediately, the Tiger Global and Alpha Wave Global-backed unicorn startup announced in a statement on Monday. Rao will collaborate with the DealShare board in
India’s social e-commerce DealShare co-founder and CEO Vineet Rao has stepped down from his role effective immediately, the Tiger Global and Alpha Wave Global-backed unicorn startup announced in a statement on Monday. Rao will collaborate with the DealShare board in […]