How to Add Localized App Descriptions in Google Play

For the latest updates to localizing with Android tools, check out our coverage of Google I/O Developer Conference 2017.

Localize your Google Play store listing to boost downloads

Localizing the Store Listing is a great way to test your international markets before committing your full resources to localize the whole app right from the start. As mentioned in our previous blog post, the top charts of many countries are dominated by apps that offer local language support, indicating that many international markets have a strong preference for local language.

Currently, Google Play allows you to add localized store listings (app descriptions) for 51 languages easily via Android Developers Console. Normally, an app description contains only a few hundred words (as the length limit for your description is currently 4,000 characters as set by Google). So it would be very affordable to translate just your store listing. It’s a great way to test new markets, as research shows people are much more likely to make purchases (and in this case, downloads) in their native language.

In this blog post, we will teach you how to add localized Google Play Store Listing via Android Developers Console.

How to add localized Google Play store listing via Android Developers Console

1. Go to the tab “Store Listing”
2. Click “Add translations”
3. Simply select your target language(s)
   
   * Supported languages include Afrikaans, Amharic, Arabic, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English (UK), English (US), Estonian, Filipino, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malay, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Romanian, Romansh, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish (Latin America), Spanish (Spain), Spanish (US), Swahili, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese and Zulu.
4. Under “Languages”, you would able to edit the Store Listing of your enabled language(s)
5. Under “Manage translations”, you would be able to add/remove translations and change your default language

Should I choose machine translation?

No. In Google Play, users do have the option to view a machine translation if you didn’t localize your store listing. But machine translation is never a good substitute for human translation. This will greatly lower their incentives of downloading your app if they have a preference for local language.

More resources about app store localization

Doing localization right can be tricky, even if the content is as simple as an app store description. That’s why we have prepared several tutorials for you. With these guides, you can learn how to achieve localization success in app store. Access to our free guides by clicking the following links.

• The Essential Guide to App Store Localization
• What is the best language for your app?
• The 5-minute Guide to Global App Store Optimization
• AppGrader – free tool to check your app’s localization readiness

Ready to go global?

Figure out what your Minimum Viable Localization (MVL) is and grow globally in a manageable way. Download our free guide (click the banner) to get started today: