What’s the best way to implement a language switcher — Part 2 (Mobile Apps)

Khalid Al-Jaaidi
Jul 23, 2017 · 3 min read

This is part 2 continuation to “What’s the best way to implement a language switcher — Part 1 (Desktop Web)”.

In this part, we will explore the implementation of the most popular mobile apps in the region and UAE.

1- Onboarding process first, settings menu or sidebar second

2- Sidebar only

3- Automatically based on phone language

Conclusion

It’s clear that apps produced by different regions adopt different philosophies when it comes to the application of multi-language support. Also considering the huge variety in scale of these apps. Some are international, some are local to a country, others are regional.

Arab oriented apps tend to start with a selection of language, and keeping the switcher accessible in a settings screens. On the other hand, international apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Youtube, tend to rely solely on the device language, with no option to switch if you’re in the app.

What type of language selector you choose will depend on your audience and scale. Mixing any of these techniques could lead to even better approach, such as detecting the phone language, and leaving the switcher accessible on the settings or sidebar navigation.

The most important part is to handle the situation in the most unobtrusive way if you’re targeting foreign users.

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Khalid Al-Jaaidi

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User experience design

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