Localizing Android Apps for Free with AndroidLocalize

As an indie developer, one of the biggest challenges I face is making my apps accessible to a global audience. Localization is crucial for expanding your user base, but traditionally it has been expensive and time-consuming. That's why I want to share one of my secret weapons: the AndroidLocalize plugin for IntelliJ/Android Studio.

What is AndroidLocalize?

AndroidLocalize is a powerful IntelliJ/Android Studio plugin that simplifies the process of translating your Android application's string resources. It integrates with various translation services, including ChatGPT, to provide quick and efficient translations.

Why I Recommend It

I use the plugin with a ChatGPT license, which allows me to translate my app's content into more than 30 languages with just a click of a button. The AI-powered translations are surprisingly accurate for most use cases, especially for UI elements and simple instructions.

By maintaining a uniform format for my string keys, the plugin can intelligently handle translations while preserving the context of each string. This ensures that the translations make sense in the target language.

Before discovering this plugin, I either had to hire translators (expensive) or use multiple tools and manually copy-paste translations (time-consuming). Now, I can localize my entire app in minutes rather than days or weeks.

Features and Workflow

AndroidLocalize offers support for multiple translation services (Google, Yandex, DeepL, ChatGPT), batch translation of multiple strings at once, and preservation of string formatting and special characters. It also handles string arrays and plurals, and provides translation history management.

The workflow is incredibly simple:

1. Install the plugin from the JetBrains Marketplace
2. Configure your preferred translation service (I recommend ChatGPT)
3. Select the strings you want to translate
4. Choose your target languages
5. Click translate and watch as your app becomes globally accessible

After implementing this localization strategy, I've seen significant increases in downloads from non-English speaking countries. My apps now reach users in Europe, Asia, and South America who might otherwise have passed them by.

Conclusion

If you're an indie developer looking to expand your app's reach without breaking the bank, I highly recommend giving AndroidLocalize a try. The ability to quickly translate your app into 30+ languages with minimal effort is invaluable in today's global marketplace.

Remember that while machine translation is excellent for most content, it's still a good idea to have native speakers review critical or complex text. However, for getting started with localization or handling the bulk of your app's strings, AndroidLocalize with ChatGPT is an excellent solution.

Have you tried AndroidLocalize or other localization tools? I'd love to hear about your experiences in the comments below!