Launch in Every App Store Market Together
Product managers update app copy and store text in Smartcat themselves, so localized versions are ready when the build is.
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Accelerate Your iOS App Translation Workflow
Reach global users with your iOS app using Smartcat's translation platform. Create, translate, and localize your app content simultaneously with AI that learns from your team and delivers consistent results for every release.
Trusted by 1,000+ enterprise brands to localize apps and product content:
96%
Enhanced Efficiency
Enterprise teams using Smartcat cut translation costs by 96% compared with traditional agency rates in 2026.
280+
Languages from one project
Add every App Store locale you need to one project and translate your strings for all of them at once.
92%
Edit-free AI translation
In 2026, 92% of words translated by Smartcat AI for paying customers were accepted with no human edit.
Translate .strings, .stringsdict and String Catalogs
Smartcat reads Apple .strings and .stringsdict files and Xcode .xcstrings String Catalogs. Upload them, or let the Git integration pull .strings files from your repository.
Localize Your App Store Product Page
Translate the app name, subtitle, keywords, description and What's New text in the same workspace, with the glossary you use for the app UI.
Sync with Your Git Repository
The iOS Git integration pulls .strings files from your repository and pushes translated files back, automatically or with one click.
Review Without Sharing the Xcode Project
Colleagues and Marketplace linguists review strings in the Smartcat editor, so nobody outside your team needs access to your source code.
Tools That Connect to Your iOS Workflow
Pull strings from Git, bring designs in from Figma and track work in Jira, all feeding one glossary and translation memory.
How iOS Localization Works in Smartcat
1
Bring in your strings
Connect your Git repository with an SSH key, or upload .strings, .stringsdict or .xcstrings files. Pick every target language at once.
2
Translate with context
AI translates with your glossary and translation memory. Attach screenshots so translators see where each string appears.
3
Return files to your project
Download the translated files or let the Git integration push them back, ready to build and test in each language.
Built for Apple String Files and the App Store
Strings files
String Catalog
Screenshots
App Store
Review
Results Customers Have Shared
+30%
More output, same team
Wunderman Thompson Commerce delivered 30% more projects without adding resources.
4x
Faster turnaround
Smith+Nephew moved from 10 days with its previous agency to two to three days per project.
Protection for Unreleased Features
Smartcat is SOC 2 Type II compliant. Strings are encrypted in transit and at rest, and role-based access controls who can open each project.
On written request, your content is deleted or returned within 30 days.
Localize Your iOS App Before the Next Release
Bring in your .strings files or String Catalog, translate them with AI and review them before you submit the build.
Try it free with 15,000 Smartwords for 15 days, no credit card needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to localize an iOS app?
Choose a workflow that reads Apple's own formats, .strings, .stringsdict and .xcstrings, syncs with your repository, gives translators screenshots for context and keeps a glossary.
It should also cover App Store text. Smartcat fits teams that want app strings, store metadata and review in one workspace.
Is there a free tool to localize an iOS app?
Smartcat has no free-forever plan, but the trial is free: 15,000 Smartwords over 15 days, with no credit card. API access is included in the trial.
That is usually enough to translate a small app's strings and its App Store text into a few languages before you decide.
How do I localize an iOS app with Smartcat?
- Connect your Git repository, or upload your .strings, .stringsdict or .xcstrings files.
- Choose the target languages.
- Let AI translate with your glossary and translation memory.
- Add screenshots and review strings in the editor.
- Download the files or push them back to Git, then build and test.
How accurate is AI translation for iOS app strings?
In 2026, 92% of words translated by Smartcat AI for paying customers were accepted without a single human edit.
UI strings are short and often ambiguous out of context. Attach screenshots, and have a native reviewer check onboarding, paywall and settings screens before you submit.
Is it safe to share an unreleased app's strings?
Smartcat is SOC 2 Type II compliant. Content is encrypted in transit and at rest, and role-based access limits who can open each project.
Reviewers work in the Smartcat editor and never see your Xcode project. On written request, content is deleted or returned within 30 days.
What are the alternatives to Smartcat for iOS localization?
You can export localizations from Xcode and send them to freelancers or an agency, or use another string-management tool.
One honest limitation: the iOS Git integration is documented for .strings files. Upload .stringsdict files and String Catalogs to Smartcat directly instead of syncing them through Git.
Does Smartcat support Xcode String Catalogs (.xcstrings)?
Yes. XCSTRINGS is on Smartcat's list of supported formats, next to Apple STRINGS and STRINGSDICT.
Upload the String Catalog to a project, translate it in the editor with your glossary and translation memory, and download the translated file to add back to your Xcode project.
Can Smartcat translate .stringsdict files?
Yes. STRINGSDICT is on Smartcat's list of supported formats, so you can translate these plural-rule files in the same project as your .strings files.
Before release, test plural strings in languages such as Russian, Polish or Arabic, which use more plural categories than English.
Can I use the XLIFF file that Xcode exports?
Yes. Smartcat imports XLIFF 1.2 and 2.0, the format inside an Xcode localization export.
Upload the XLIFF, translate it with your glossary and translation memory, then download it and import it back into Xcode. This route suits teams that already use Xcode's export and import commands.
How do I translate App Store metadata?
Put the app name, subtitle, keywords, description and What's New text in a spreadsheet, one field per row, and translate it into every locale.
Keep Apple's limits in mind: 30 characters for the name and subtitle and 100 for keywords. Ask reviewers to localize keywords, not translate them word for word.
Can translations go back to Git before review is finished?
Yes. The Git integration can push translations back after they are completed or after a workflow stage you choose.
That lets you test AI-translated strings in internal builds or TestFlight while reviewers finish, then replace them with the confirmed version before you submit.
Can I localize the iOS and Android versions of my app together?
Yes. A software localization project can import keys from iOS Strings and Android XML and export each platform's format.
Labels track which keys came from which file, and translation memory reuses identical sentences across both apps, so shared copy is translated once.