Mobile apps are international phenomena. So is the Android operating system. Google knows the importance for developers to easily extend the international footprint so today it announced that its App Translation Service is now available to all developers.
The App Translation Service was announced at Google’s I/O developer conference earlier this year and allows for developers to hire human translators across the world to transcribe their apps from English into the local tongue. Want your app to be read in Farsi? Russian? Japanese? Developers can hire a professional translator through Google Play Services to bring their app to users’ native tongue across the world.
Google says that 1.5 million Android devices are activated every day and the vast majority of those smartphones and tablets go to countries where English is not the first language. As such, Google announced at I/O a suite of localization services and techniques to help developers be able to support true international launches of their apps such as the ability to accept a variety of forms of payment and currency through Google Play and to test a localized app.
See also: Making Android Pay: One Click To Sell Your App Around The World
It is important to note that not all Android apps can be sold or have in-app payments for every country around the world. Free apps are available wherever a user can access the Google Play Android app store. If a developer wants to charge for an app or feature or service with an app, it has to do so in countries where Google can accept payments. That list is quite long, ranging from Albania to Zimbabwe. Most major countries are supported, but developers should check Google’s list of supported countries before attempting to translate an app into a local language.