path: root/docs/html/distribute/tools/localization-checklist.jd

page.title=Localization Checklist
page.metaDescription=Take advantage of the worldwide audience offered by Android and Google Play. Read this checklist to get an overview of how to deliver your product to markets around the world.
meta.tags="localizing, publishing, disttools"
page.tags="local, l10n, translation, language"
page.image=/distribute/images/localization-checklist.jpg

@jd:body

<div id="qv-wrapper">
  <div id="qv" style="width:280px">
    <h2>Checklist</h2>
    <ol>
      <li><a href="#identify-languages">1. Identify target languages and locales</a></li>
      <li><a href="#design">2. Design for localization</a></li>
      <li><a href="#manage-strings">3. Manage strings for localization</a></li>
      <li><a href="#translate-strings">4. Translate UI strings and other resources</a></li>
      <li><a href="#test">5. Test your localized app</a></li>
      <li><a href="#prepare-launch">6. Prepare for international launch</a></li>
      <li><a href="#support-users">7. Support international users after launch</a></li>
    </ol>
  </div>
</div>

<div class="top-right-float" style="width:194px">
  <img src="{@docRoot}distribute/images/localization-checklist.jpg">
</div>

<p>
  Android and Google Play offer you a worldwide audience for your apps, with an
  addressable user base that's growing very rapidly in countries such as Japan,
  Korea, India, Brazil, and Russia. We strongly encourage you to localize as it
  can maximize your apps’ distribution potential resulting in ratings from
  users around the world.
</p>

<p>
  Localization involves a variety of tasks throughout your app development
  cycle, and advance planning is essential. This document helps you identify
  key aspects of localization to get your app ready for a successful worldwide
  launch on Google Play.
</p>

<div class="headerLine">
  <h1 id="identify-languages">
    1. Identify target languages and locales
  </h1>

  <hr>
</div>

<p>
  A basic but important step in preparing for localization is identifying the
  countries where you’ll distribute your apps and the languages spoken there.
  Localizing your apps is particularly important in countries where there is a
  large market opportunity and English or another international language is not
  widely used.
</p>

<p>
  For international users, you can manage your apps in three main dimensions:
  country, locale, and language. Of those, language is the key consideration
  for localization (locale can also significant because of differences in
  formats for dates, times, currencies, and similar information). Users control
  both the language and locale used on their Android devices and in turn those
  affect how your app is displayed.
</p>

<p>
  Typically, you would decide which countries to target first, based on overall
  market size and opportunity, app category, competitive landscape, local
  pricing and financial factors, and so on. Then, based on your country
  targeting, you would determine the languages you need to support in your
  apps.
</p>

<p>
  You may then decide to localize into some or all languages of the targeted
  country. It might make sense to start with a major regional language and add
  more languages as user base grows.
</p>

<p>
  Once you have identified your target languages, you can focus your
  development, translation, testing, and marketing efforts to these markets.
</p>

<h3 id="related-resources">
  Related Resources
</h3>

<div class="resource-widget resource-flow-layout col-13" data-query=
"collection:distribute/toolsreference/localizationchecklist/identifylocales"
data-sortorder="-timestamp" data-cardsizes="9x3," data-maxresults="6">
</div>

<div class="headerLine clearfloat">
  <h1 id="design">
    2. Design for localization
  </h1>

  <hr>
</div>

<p>
  After you've determined your target languages for localization, assess what
  you'll need to do to support them in your apps and plan the work early.
  Consider the vocabulary expansion, script requirements, character spacing and
  wrapping constraints, left-to-right and right-to-left support, and other
  potential factors in each language.
</p>

<h4>
  <strong>Design a single set of flexible layouts</strong>
</h4>

<p>
  As you create your layouts, make sure that any UI elements that hold text are
  designed generously. It’s good to allow more space than necessary for your
  language (up to 30% more is normal) to accommodate other languages.
</p>

<p>
  Also, elements should be able to expand horizontally or vertically to
  accommodate variations in the width and height of UI strings or input text.
  Your text strings shouldn’t overlap borders or the screen edge in any of your
  target languages.
</p>

<p>
  If you design your UI carefully, you can typically use a single set of
  layouts for all of the languages you support. See <a href=
  "{@docRoot}training/basics/fragments/fragment-ui.html">Building a Flexible
  UI</a> for more information.
</p>

<h4>
  <strong>Use alternative layouts where needed</strong>
</h4>

<p>
  In cases where your UI can't accommodate text in one of your target
  languages, you can create an <a href=
  "{@docRoot}guide/topics/resources/providing-resources.html#AlternativeResources">
  alternative layout</a> for that language only. Android makes it easy to
  declare sets of layouts and other resources to load for specific languages,
  locales, screen sizes, and so on, simply by tagging them with the appropriate
  resource qualifiers. While the flexibility of alternative layouts exists it
  can also make your apps harder to maintain over time. In general, using a
  single, more flexible layout is preferred.
</p>

<h4>
  <strong>Support RTL layouts and text</strong>
</h4>

<p>
  If you’re distributing to countries where right-to-left (RTL) scripts are
  used, you should consider implementing support for RTL layouts and text
  display and editing, to the extent possible.
</p>

<p>
  Android 4.1 introduced limited support for bidirectional text, allowing apps
  to display and edit text in both left-to-right (LTR) and right-to-left (RTL)
  scripts. Android 4.2 added <a href=
  "http://android-developers.blogspot.fr/2013/03/native-rtl-support-in-android-42.html">
  full native support for RTL layouts</a>, including layout mirroring, so that
  you can deliver the same great app experiences to all of your users.
</p>

<p>
  At a minimum, for Android 4.2 users, it's simple to add basic RTL layout
  mirroring, which goes a long way toward meeting the needs of RTL users.
</p>

<h4>
  <strong>Use system-provided formats for dates, times, numbers, and
  currencies</strong>
</h4>

<p>
  Where your apps specify dates, times, numbers, currencies, and other entities
  that can vary by locale, make sure to use the system-provided formats, rather
  than app-specific formats. Keep in mind that not every locale uses the same
  thousands separator, decimal separator, or percent sign.
</p>

<p>
  Android provides a variety of utilities for formatting and converting
  patterns across locales, such as <a href=
  "{@docRoot}reference/android/text/format/DateUtils.html">DateUtils</a> and
  <a href="{@docRoot}reference/java/text/DateFormat.html">DateFormat</a> for
  dates; <a href=
  "{@docRoot}reference/java/lang/String.html#format(java.lang.String,%20java.lang.Object...)">
  String.format()</a> or <a href=
  "{@docRoot}reference/java/text/DecimalFormat.html">DecimalFormat</a> for
  numbers and currency; <a href=
  "{@docRoot}reference/android/telephony/PhoneNumberUtils.html">PhoneNumberUtils</a>
  for phone numbers; and others.
</p>

<p>
  Hardcoding your formats based on assumptions about the user's locale can
  result in problems when the user changes to another locale. Using
  system-provided formats and utilities is strongly encouraged.
</p>

<h4>
  <strong>Include a full set of default resources</strong>
</h4>

<p>
  Make sure that your apps can run properly regardless of language or locale by
  providing a complete set of default resources. The app's default resources
  are those that are <em>not marked</em> with any language or locale
  qualifiers, for example those stored in res/drawable/ and res/values/. If
  your apps attempt to load a resource that isn't available in the current
  language or in the default set, they will crash.
</p>

<p>
  Whatever the default language you’re using in your apps, make sure that you
  store the associated layouts, drawables, and strings in default resource
  directories, without language or locale qualifiers.
</p>

<h3>
  Related resources
</h3>

<div class="resource-widget resource-flow-layout col-13" data-query=
"collection:distribute/tools/loc/designforloc" data-sortorder="-timestamp"
data-cardsizes="9x3" data-maxresults="6">
</div>

<div class="headerLine clearfloat">
  <h1 id="manage-strings">
    3. Manage strings for localization
  </h1>

  <hr>
</div>

<p>
  It's important to manage your apps’ UI strings properly, so that you deliver
  a great experience for users and make localization straightforward.
</p>

<h4>
  <strong>Move all strings into strings.xml</strong>
</h4>

<p>
  As you build your apps, remember not to hard code any string. Instead declare
  <em>all</em> of your strings as resources in a default strings.xml file which
  makes it easy to update and localize. Strings in strings.xml file can be
  extracted, translated and integrated back into your app (with appropriate
  qualifiers) without any changes to compiled code.
</p>

<p>
  If you generate images with text, put those strings in strings.xml as well,
  and regenerate the images after translation.
</p>

<h4>
  <strong>Follow Android guidelines for UI strings</strong>
</h4>

<p>
  As you design and develop your UIs, make sure that you pay close attention to
  <em>how</em> you talk to your user. In general, use a <a href=
  "{@docRoot}design/style/writing.html">succinct and compressed style</a> that
  is friendly but brief, and use a consistent style throughout your UIs.
</p>

<p>
  Make sure that you read and follow the Android Design recommendations for
  <a href="{@docRoot}design/style/writing.html">writing style and word
  choice</a>. Doing so will make your apps appear more polished to the user and
  will help users understand your UI more quickly.
</p>

<p>
  Also, always use Android standard terminology wherever possible&mdash;such as
  for UI elements such as "Action Bar," "Options Menu," "System Bar,"
  "Notifications," and so on. Using Android terms correctly and consistently
  makes translation easier and results in a better end-product for users.
</p>

<h4>
  <strong>Provide sufficient context for declared strings</strong>
</h4>

<p>
  As you declare strings in your strings.xml file, make sure to describe the
  context in which the string is used. This information will be invaluable to
  translators and result in better quality translation and will also help you
  manage your strings more effectively over time.
</p>

<p>
  Here's an example:
</p>

<pre class="prettyprint">
&lt;!-- The action for submitting a form. This text is on a button that can fit 30 chars --&gt;
&lt;string name="login_submit_button"&gt;Sign in&lt;/string&gt;
</pre>
<p>
  Consider providing context information that may include:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    <p>
      What is this string for? When/where is it presented to the user?
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Where is this in the layout? For example, if it’s a button, translations
      are less flexible than if it were a text box.
    </p>
  </li>
</ul>

<h4>
  <strong>Mark message parts that should not be translated</strong>
</h4>

<p>
  Often strings contain contain text that shouldn’t be translated to other
  languages. Common examples might be a piece of code, a placeholder for a
  value, a special symbol, or a name. As you prepare you strings for
  translation, look for and mark text that should remain as-is, without
  translation, so that translators don’t change it.
</p>

<p>
  To mark text that should not be translated, use an
  <code>&lt;xliff:g&gt;</code> placeholder tag. Here's an example tag that
  ensures the text "%1$s" will not be changed during translation (otherwise it
  could break the message):
</p>

<pre class="prettyprint">
&lt;string name="countdown"&gt;
    &lt;xliff:g id="time" example="5 days&gt;%1$s&lt;/xliff:g&gt;until holiday
&lt;/string&gt;
</pre>
<p>
  When you declare a placeholder tag, always add an id attribute that explains
  what the placeholder is for. If your apps will later replace the placeholder
  value, be sure to provide an example attribute to clarify the expected use.
</p>

<p>
  Here are some more examples of placeholder tags:
</p>

<pre>
&lt;resources xmlns:xliff="urn:oasis:names:tc:xliff:document:1.2"&gt;

&lt;!-- Example placeholder for a special unicode symbol --&gt;

&lt;string name="star_rating"&gt;Check out our 5

    &lt;xliff:g id="star"&gt;\u2605&lt;/xliff:g&gt;

&lt;/string&gt;

&lt;!-- Example placeholder for a for a URL --&gt;

&lt;string name="app_homeurl"&gt;

    Visit us at &lt;xliff:g id="application_homepage"&gt;http://my/app/home.html&lt;/xliff:g&gt;

&lt;/string&gt;

&lt;!-- Example placeholder for a name --&gt;

&lt;string name="prod_name"&gt;

    Learn more at &lt;xliff:g id="prod_gamegroup"&gt;Game Group&lt;/xliff:g&gt;

&lt;/string&gt;

&lt;!-- Example placeholder for a literal --&gt;

&lt;string name="promo_message"&gt;

    Please use the "&lt;xliff:g id="promotion_code"&gt;ABCDEFG&lt;/xliff:g&gt;” to get a discount.

&lt;/string&gt;

...

&lt;/resources&gt;
</pre>
<h3 class="clearfloat">
  Related resources
</h3>

<div class="resource-widget resource-flow-layout col-13" data-query=
"collection:distribute/toolsreference/localizationchecklist/managestrings"
data-sortorder="-timestamp" data-cardsizes="9x3" data-maxresults="6">
</div>

<div class="headerLine clearfloat">
  <h1 id="translate-strings">
    4. Translate UI strings and other resources
  </h1>

  <hr>
</div>

<p>
  Translating your apps’ UI strings and resources to your target languages is
  the key phase of localization, and it's the one that requires the most care
  and planning.
</p>

<p>
  It is recommended to work with a professional translator (see <a href=
  "#gp-trans">Purchase professional translations</a>) to ensure high quality
  translations that enhance the value of your app. Machine translations,
  although an option may not produce as good an experience for your users.
</p>

<h4>
  <strong>Prepare for translation</strong>
</h4>

<p>
  Translation output quality will depend in part on your input therefore make
  sure that your strings.xml file is well organized, well commented, and
  accurate.
</p>

<p>
  Here are some ways to prepare your strings for translation:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    <p>
      Make sure your strings are formatted correctly and consistently.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Follow the strings recommendations listed in <a href=
      "#manage-strings">Manage strings for localization</a>, above.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Clean up the strings.xml file and remove unused strings.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Place comments in the file to identify the owner, origin, and the version
      of the file, as well as any special instructions for translators.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Identify existing translations, if any, and include those in an outgoing
      zip file or other package that you send to translators.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Identify drawables or other resources that require translation and
      include them in the translators’ package.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Additionally, consider translating your apps’ store listing details
      &mdash; app title and description, release notes, and so on &mdash; as
      well as other international marketing materials.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Create a terminology list that explains the meaning and use of key terms
      found in your product, your market, or the underlying technology. Add the
      list to the translators’ package.
    </p>
  </li>
</ul>

<h4>
  <strong>Send your strings for translation</strong>
</h4>

<p>
  Early in the development cycle, contact professional translation vendors to
  get an idea of cost and turnaround time. Make sure to include multiple
  iterations in the cost. You can find translation vendors online or use
  translation services available directly from Google Play Developer console
  (see <a href="#gp-trans">Purchase professional translations</a>).
</p>

<p>
  When your translations are complete, take a preliminary look at the
  translations. Check that all files were translated, check for potential
  encoding issues, and make sure that declaration formats are intact.
</p>

<p>
  If everything looks good, carefully move the localized directories and files
  back into your apps’ resources. Make sure to tag the directories with the
  appropriate language and locale qualifiers so that they'll later be loaded
  properly.
</p>

<p>
  After the translations are merged back into your app, start <a href=
  "#test">testing the localized app</a>.
</p>

<h4 id="gp-trans">
  <strong>Purchase professional translations through Google Play</strong>
</h4>

<div class="sidebox-wrapper">
  <div class="sidebox">
    <h2>
      App Translations Service
    </h2>

    <p>
      To make it easy to export your app's strings and import the finished
      translations into your project, try the <a href=
      "{@docRoot}sdk/installing/installing-adt.html#tmgr">ADT Translation
      Manager Plugin</a>.
    </p>
  </div>
</div>

<p>
  Google Play App Translation Service can help you quickly find and purchase
  translations of your app. In the Developer Console, you can browse a list of
  third-party vendors who are pre-qualified by Google to offer high-quality
  translation at competitive prices. You can upload the strings you want
  translated, select the languages you want to translate into, and select your
  translation vendor based on time and price.
</p>

<p>
  Once you've purchased translations, you'll receive an email from your vendor.
  Your translations are a direct business agreement between you and your
  vendor; you'll need to work directly with the vendor to manage the
  translation process and deliverables and resolve any support issues.
</p>

<div>
  <img src="{@docRoot}images/gp-localization-trans-0.png" class="border-img">
</div>

<h3>
  Related resources
</h3>

<div class="resource-widget resource-flow-layout col-13" data-query=
"collection:distribute/toolsreference/localizationchecklist/translatestrings"
data-sortorder="-timestamp" data-cardsizes="9x3" data-maxresults="6">
</div>

<div class="headerLine clearfloat">
  <h1 id="test">
    5. Test your localized app
  </h1>

  <hr>
</div>

<p>
  Once you've received your translated strings and resources and moved them
  back into your apps, you need to test the apps to make sure that they’re
  ready for distribution to your international users.
</p>

<p>
  Manual testing can help you discover localization issues in your layouts and
  strings that can affect user satisfaction and, ultimately, your apps' user
  rating.
</p>

<h4>
  <strong>Set up a test environment</strong>
</h4>

<p>
  To test your localized app, you'll need to set up an environment consisting
  of multiple devices (or virtual devices) and screen sizes, based on the
  markets and form factors you’re targeting. Note that the range of devices in
  specific regions might be different. If possible, match your test devices to
  the actual devices likely to be available to users.
</p>

<h4>
  <strong>Look for common localization issues</strong>
</h4>

<p>
  On each test device, set the language or locale in Settings. Install and
  launch the app and then navigate through all of the UI flows, dialogs, and
  user interactions. Enter text in inputs. Some things to look for include:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    <p>
      Clipped text, or text that overlaps the edge of UI elements or the screen
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Poor line wrapping
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Incorrect word breaks or punctuation
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Incorrect alphabetical sorting
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Incorrect layout direction or text direction
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Untranslated text &mdash; if your default strings are displayed instead
      of translated strings, then you may have overlooked those strings for
      translation or marked the resources directory with an incorrect language
      qualifier.
    </p>
  </li>
</ul>

<p>
  For cases where your strings have expanded in translation and no longer fit
  your layouts, it's suggested you try to simplify your default text, simplify
  your translated text, or adjust your default layouts. If none of those
  resolves the issue, you can create a custom layout for the language.
</p>

<h4>
  <strong>Test for default resources</strong>
</h4>

<p>
  After you've tested your apps in all of your supported languages and locales,
  make sure to test it again in an <em>unsupported language</em> and locale.
  This’ll help you make sure that your apps includes a full set of default
  strings and resources, so that your apps are usable to all users, regardless
  of their preferred language.
</p>

<h4>
  <strong>Review with native-language speakers</strong>
</h4>

<p>
  During or after testing, it's recommended that you let native speakers review
  your localized apps. One way to do that is through beta testing with regional
  users &mdash; Google Play can help you do this. <!-- </p>

<h3 class="clearfloat">Related resources</h3>

<div class="resource-widget resource-flow-layout col-13"
  data-query="collection:distribute/toolsreference/localizationchecklist/test"
  data-sortOrder="-timestamp"
  data-cardSizes="9x3,9x3,6x3,9x3,9x3,9x3"
  data-maxResults="6"></div> -->
</p>

<div class="headerLine clearfloat">
  <h1 id="prepare-launch">
    6. Prepare for international launch
  </h1>

  <hr>
</div>

<p>
  Getting your apps translated is a key part of localization, but to help your
  product attract users and gain visibility, you should prepare for launch in
  your target countries and create a broader launch and marketing plan for
  international users.
</p>

<h4>
  <strong>Localize your Google Play listing</strong>
</h4>

<div class="sidebox-wrapper" style="float:right;">
  <div class="sidebox">
    <h2>
      Localize your Google Play listing
    </h2>

    <p>
      Google Play Store listing is the first impression international users
      will have of your app. You should highlight what's great about your apps
      to all of your users! Localize your listing in the Developer Console,
      including:
    </p>

    <ul>
      <li>App title and description
      </li>

      <li>App screenshots on phones and tablets
      </li>

      <li>Promotional graphics and videos.
      </li>
    </ul>
  </div>
</div>

<p>
  If you want your apps to be successful in international markets, it's
  essential to localize your Google Play store listing. You can manage your
  localized listing in the Developer Console.
</p>

<p>
  Well before launch, decide on your app title, description, promotional text,
  marketing names and programs, and other text and images. Send your listing
  text and images for translation early, so that you’ve them ready when beta
  testing begins. When your translated text is available, you can add it
  through the Developer Console.
</p>

<div class="sidebox-wrapper" style="float:right;">
  <div class="sidebox">
    <h2>
      Store listing translation in Google Play
    </h2>

    <p>
      You can use the App Translation service on Google Play to translate your
      store listing. Prepare an XML file with your store listing information
      and upload just as you would upload the strings.xml file (see <a href=
      "#gp-trans">Purchase professional translations</a>)
    </p>
  </div>
</div>

<p>
  Also, since you've made the effort to create a great localized app, let users
  know about it! Take screenshots of your UI in each language, for phones and
  7- and 10- inch tablets. You can upload screenshots to the Developer Console
  for each language you support. These will be of great value to users browsing
  your app listings in other languages.
</p>

<p>
  It's also essential to create localized versions of your promotional graphics
  and videos. For example, your apps’ feature graphics might include text that
  should be translated, for maximum effectiveness, or you might want to take a
  different visual approach in one country than you do in another. You can
  create different versions of your promotional graphics for each language and
  upload them to the Developer Console. If you offer a promotional video, you
  can create localized versions of it and then add a link to the correct
  localized video for each language you support.
</p>

<h4>
  <strong>Plan a beta release in key countries</strong>
</h4>

<div class="sidebox-wrapper" style="float:right;">
  <div class="sidebox">
    <h2>
      Easy beta testing
    </h2>

    <p>
      Google Play now lets you set up groups of alpha and beta testers,
      anywhere around the world. Check out this powerful feature next time you
      sign in to the Developer Console.
    </p>
  </div>
</div>

<p>
  Before launching your apps, it's always valuable to get real-world feedback
  from users &mdash; even more so when you are launching an app in a new
  language, country, or region. In those cases, it's highly recommended that
  you distribute a pre-release version of your apps to users across your key
  markets and provide an easy means for them to provide feedback and report
  bugs.
</p>

<p>
  Google Play can help you set up a beta program for your apps. After you sign
  in to the Developer Console and upload your APK, you can set up groups of
  users for alpha testing and beta testing the app. You can start with a small
  group of alpha testers, then move to a larger group of beta testers.
</p>

<p>
  Once users are added, they access your app's store listing and install the
  app. <strong>Users on alpha or beta versions cannot leave reviews or
  ratings</strong>, so there is <strong>no risk to your rating</strong> on
  Google Play, however it does mean you need to setup a mechanism for your
  testers to provide you with feedback: consider creating a <a href=
  "http://www.google.com/+/business/">Google+</a> page or <a href=
  "https://groups.google.com/forum/#!overview">Google Groups</a>.
</p>

<p>
  The feedback you receive will help you adjust your UI, translations, and
  store listing to ensure a great experience for users.
</p>

<h4>
  <strong>Plan for international marketing</strong>
</h4>

<p>
  For highest visibility across countries, consider an international marketing
  or advertising campaign. The scope of the campaign will vary based on the
  budget you can support, but in general it's cost-effective and productive to
  do regional or country-specific marketing at launch and after.
</p>

<h4>
  <strong>Create localized Google Play badges</strong>
</h4>

<p>
  If you’re preparing international marketing, make sure to include a <a href=
  "{@docRoot}distribute/tools/promote/badges.html">localized Google Play
  badge</a> to tell users you're on Google Play. You can use the badge
  generator to quickly build localized badges that you can use on websites or
  marketing materials. High-resolution assets are also available.
</p>

<h4>
  <strong>Create Localized Device Art</strong>
</h4>

<p>
  If you feature product shots of your apps running on Android devices, make
  sure that those shots look great and reflect the latest in Android devices.
  To help you create high-quality marketing materials, use the drag-and-drop
  <a href="{@docRoot}distribute/tools/promote/device-art.html">Device Art
  Generator</a> to quickly frame your screenshot on a Nexus device.
</p>

<h4>
  <strong>Check your Optimization Tips</strong>
</h4>

<p>
  As you prepare for launch, make sure to sign into the Developer Console and
  check your apps’ Optimization Tips. The Optimization Tips let you know when
  you’re missing parts of your localized store listing and provide other
  helpful reminders for a successful localized launch.
</p>

<h3>
  Related resources
</h3>

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<div class="headerLine clearfloat">
  <h1 id="support-users">
    7. Support international users after launch
  </h1>

  <hr>
</div>

<p>
  After you launch your apps internationally, you should be prepared to support
  users in a variety of languages and time zones. The extent of your
  international user support depends on your budget, but at a minimum you
  should watch your ratings, reviews, and download stats carefully after
  launch.
</p>

<p>
  Here are some suggestions:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    <p>
      Use the app stats in the Developer Console to compare your downloads,
      installs, and uninstalls, and ratings across languages and
      countries&mdash;If your downloads or ratings aren’t keeping up in
      specific languages or countries, consider options for improving your
      product or changing your marketing approach.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Check reviews regularly&mdash;Google Play translates all user reviews for
      you, so you can stay in touch with how international users feel about
      your apps, what features they like and what issues are affecting them. By
      watching reviews, you can spot technical issues that may affect users in
      a particular country, then fix and update your apps.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Respond to reviews if possible&mdash;It's good to engage with
      international users in their language or a common language if possible.
      If not, you can try using translation tools, although results may not be
      predictable. If your apps gets very popular in a language, consider
      getting support help from native-language speakers.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Make sure there's a link to any support resources on your website.
      Consider setting up language-specific user groups, Google+ communities,
      or other support forums.
    </p>
  </li>
</ul>

<p>
  By following these practices for localizing your apps, promoting and
  marketing to international users, and providing ongoing support, you can
  attract many new users to your apps and maintain their loyalty.
</p>

<p>
  Make sure to read the <a href=
  "{@docRoot}distribute/tools/launch-checklist.html">Launch Checklist</a> to
  learn more about how to plan, build, and launch your app on Google Play.
</p>
<h3 class="clearfloat">Related resources</h3>

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  data-maxResults="6"></div>