Android Localization with Native SDK

Publish Your Translations More Easily and Efficiently 

What would the perfect L10n look like? How can we create an awesome developer experience? How can we manage content such as sources and translations outside the code?

These are some of the localization challenges and questions we’ve been asking ourselves after embarking on the Transifex Native journey. Today, we’re super excited to announce the release of the Transifex Native Android SDK to accelerate mobile apps localization of mobile application!

Transifex Native is an end-to-end cloud-based localization stack that brings a new paradigm to the continuous development and localization workflow. One of its main components is the SDK. In late 2020, we started by creating a Python SDK (that also has support for Django), JavaScript, and, more recently, an iOS SDK. The Android SDK is working on top of the existing string resource-related methods like getString(), getText() offering the additional functionality that Transifex Native offers. 

By using Transifex Native, you can: 

• Start localization early, deploy fast & often
• Localize in parallel with the development
• Easy to pass on lots (and arbitrary) context
• Have a single repository for global content

The Benefits of the Android SDK

In the next paragraphs, I’m going to discuss a few benefits that Transifex Native Android SDK offers when it comes to mobile app localization.

Publish Localized Content Faster and Hassle-flee

Firstly, the Android library can fetch translations over the air (OTA) to your apps, and the command line tool can upload your app’s source strings to Transifex. The SDK allows you to keep using the same string methods that Android provides, such as getString(int id), getText(int id), etc.

Leverage Cached Translations

Secondly, by default, the Android Native SDK uses the translations already cached in the app, and the existing strings.xml files, if no cached translations are found. You can pre-populate the cache from your development environment using the CLI tool to perform a pull and get the translations. 

On top of this, it’s worth mentioning that you can even use the SDK to create your own caching strategy. 

Increase Efficiency for All Teams

Thirdly, and most importantly, with Native, all teams dealing with localization, such as engineers, product and content managers, or designers, can work in parallel, removing any bottlenecks and waiting time between intermediary steps. 

One such example of a streamlined localization workflow is that of Native working hand in hand with Figma. Following this workflow translates to having instantly available all content that is already localized. That’s a great way of ensuring that translations are properly mapped, pushing content and metadata directly to a project in Transifex, and more.

A Single Localization Platform is All You Need

Localizing through the Transifex Android SDK offers additional benefits for your company’s localization. 

Using the Transifex Native technology, you get a single source for your localization and leverage existing translations across all applications. And that can be either your Android app, iOS app, or web application. 

Use Transifex Native and bring content from all your apps under a single localization place in Transifex, your project. Get more consistent translations, faster localization, and instant updates for all your apps!

Ready to Localize your Android Application with Transifex? 

To set up and manage your Android application using Native SDK, check the detailed documentation on GitHub or our Developer Hub.

Why wait? Get started now with a 15-day Free Trial.