Test app localization: long words, RTL and formats
Translation is not localization. A screen that looks perfect in English can overflow, mirror wrongly or show the wrong date in another language. Test it before your users do.
Long words and layout
German, Finnish and other languages produce much longer words and strings than English. Buttons clip, labels wrap, tab bars overflow. Run the app in German or use pseudo-localization that pads every string by 30 to 40 percent and see what breaks.
Right-to-left languages
For Arabic and Hebrew, the layout must mirror: navigation, back arrows, progress bars, lists. Use start and end instead of left and right in your layouts. Test with a real RTL language, not only a flag.
Dates, numbers and currency
Use the platform formatters. Check a date such as 03/04 in a US and a European locale, and numbers like 1,234.50 against 1.234,50. Never build these strings by hand.
Plurals and gender
Languages have different plural rules, not just singular and plural. Use the platform plural mechanism, not "1 item / 2 items" with an added s.
Fonts and scripts
Check that your font covers the characters. Missing glyphs show up as boxes. Scripts such as Thai or Devanagari need more line height.
Get native eyes
A machine translation can pass your test and still read oddly. Ask a native speaker to run through the main flow. In a test group on AppReviewX, other developers who speak the language can do this as a feedback task.
Questions developers ask
How many languages should I support first? Start with those that bring users in your store statistics, not with the longest list.
Do I test every screen? Test the main flow and the screens with the densest text first.
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