Mobile Application Localization: Main Problems

Localization is a complex process that requires both linguistic expertise and strong technical foundations. When it comes to localizing mobile applications, this process becomes even more challenging: translators must work around strict UI constraints, engineers must ensure proper internationalization, and product teams must adapt the experience to meet local cultural expectations.

Suppose you’re a product owner expanding into new markets or a localization specialist refining your skills. In that case, this article provides a comprehensive overview of the main challenges in mobile app localization services and practical ways to address them.

What is app localization?

Mobile app localization is the process of adapting a mobile application to the language, culture, and regulatory requirements of a specific market, enabling users to interact with it naturally and intuitively.

Today, mobile apps are integral to everyday life: We rely on them for online banking, playing games, grocery shopping, and making video calls with people halfway around the world. They are helpful, versatile, and most importantly, always at hand. Yet, we rarely think about how much behind-the-scenes work goes into making these apps feel “native” wherever we use them.

Localization goes far beyond translation. The app localization process includes:

• Translating the user interface
• Applying local formatting for dates, numbers, and currencies
• Adapting images, icons, and colors that may carry cultural meaning
• Ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations
• Testing the product in the target locale

Note: App localization is not the same as app internationalization. Internationalization (I18N) involves preparing the codebase to support multiple languages by extracting strings, using locale-aware formatting functions, and avoiding assumptions tied to the source language or culture.

Localization typically involves a wide range of processes and specialists. Some of the experts who may be involved in mobile application localization are:

Main localization challenges

Below are the most common localization problems you may face when preparing your mobile app for a new market.

Text and UI adaptation issues

Mobile interfaces are compact, and every pixel matters. Original designs are often created without localization in mind, which later leads to problems:

• Translated text (into German, French, Ukrainian, Arabic, and other similar languages) expands by 20–40%.
• Buttons, menus, and labels may not fit longer text.
• Hard-coded strings become difficult and expensive to extract.
• Images containing embedded text require manual editing.
• The UI may break or become cluttered after translation.

At this stage, localization becomes a design and engineering challenge, not just a linguistic one.

How to resolve:

• Use responsive, flexible UI layouts: When it comes to app localization, iOS developers should rely on Auto Layout to ensure the interface adapts to text expansion and different language directions. Likewise, when localizing an Android app, use ConstraintLayout to create responsive screens that scale appropriately across languages and screen sizes.
• Avoid hard-coded strings: Store all text in resource files so translators and engineers can manage it easily.
• Build with future languages in mind, especially those known for longer words, complex scripts, or Right-to-Left (RTL) direction.

Technical & engineering constraints

Technical issues are among the most common causes of failed or delayed mobile localizations.

Some frequent pitfalls:

• Incorrect formatting of dates, times, numbers, and currencies.
• Improper or missing plural rules (English has two forms, Slavic languages have up to 4, Arabic has 6). Without ICU Message Format or similar frameworks, pluralization and grammatical structures may become incorrect.
• Lack of RTL support, causing layout mirroring or alignment errors.
• Legacy encodings like ASCII or Latin-1 cannot support Asian, Middle Eastern, or Indic scripts.
• Unescaped placeholders or broken variables that cause app crashes.

Unicode (commonly implemented using UTF-8 or UTF-16) can represent characters from nearly all languages, as well as emojis, symbols, and more, making it essential for modern mobile apps.

How to resolve:

• Use internationalization frameworks such as ICU or built-in localization APIs provided by Android and iOS, along with libraries that handle plurals, RTL support, and locale-specific formatting.
• Integrate automated I18N checks into your development pipeline to flag missing strings, broken placeholders, unsupported characters, or untranslated content.
• Test early with “pseudo-localization” to catch expansion and encoding issues before translation begins.

Cultural and contextual differences

This type of localization issue is common in all kinds of software products. Consider the localization of video games filled with specific language, jokes, cultural references, and text closely tied to visual elements. Cultural sensitivity is essential when localizing any product, especially those rich in storytelling or visual content, such as games, learning apps, fintech tools, or lifestyle platforms.

The more different the target language is from the source, the more time you’ll need to research cultural nuances. Even basic elements can vary dramatically by market:

• Humor, tone, politeness
• Cultural taboos or sensitive topics
• Symbolism of colors, icons, or gestures
• Local payment systems and legal requirements
• Expectations around customer support, onboarding, or privacy

Real-world examples highlight the importance of cultural adaptation:

• Airbnb added local payment processors, Boleto (a cash-based barcode payment option) support, and installment payments for Brazilian users during the 2016 Olympics.
• Uber launched region-specific services in 2024: Uber Cruise in Paris, Limo Boat in Venice, Uber Boat in Greece, and Uber Yachts in Ibiza.

Apps entering the Ukrainian market often need to adapt to both linguistic and cultural features. Since 2022, Ukrainian users have expected apps to offer a Ukrainian interface rather than defaulting to Russian, as many services did in the past. Additionally, local payment methods such as Monobank, Privat24, and LiqPay significantly outperform international processors in conversion rates. Apps that fail to meet these local expectations often experience low retention and negative feedback despite a fully translated UI.

How to resolve:

• Conduct cultural and market research before starting localization.
• Work closely with translators and cultural consultants to ensure high-quality mobile app translation.
• Prepare alternate images, colors, or features for markets where the default ones may not work.
• Use AI translation tools for speed, but always rely on human review as AI cannot reliably handle cultural nuance or maintain consistent brand tone.

Selecting the right market

Localizing your app is expensive, and choosing the wrong market can lead to wasted resources. Teams sometimes translate into too many languages at once or focus on markets with low ROI.

To avoid this:

• Analyze download data: unexpected markets (like Sweden, Vietnam, Mexico) may already show strong organic demand.
• Consider economic factors, market size, and purchasing power.
• Check which languages your competitors support.
• Evaluate mobile-first countries such as India, Indonesia, and Brazil.

Even major companies expand region by region instead of launching everywhere simultaneously. For example, Netflix has about 300 million members and operates in over 190 countries, but adapts its catalog and UI locally, adding languages over time rather than all at once.

How to resolve:

• Start with markets where you already have user traction.
• Analyze demographic data to determine ROI and strategic value.
• Avoid translating into 10+ languages at once; prioritize.
• Use ASO research to understand local search behavior and demand.

App localization: best practices

In the context of localization, mobile applications have unique challenges. If you are still determined to localize your product after reading this article, here are some key tips to keep in mind:

1. Provide context: Always give your localization team background information about your business, target audience profiles, screenshots, and tone guidelines at the beginning of the process to avoid unnecessary revisions later.
2. Adapt visuals: Images and visual components are often the first elements to capture a user’s attention when opening your app. Make sure your design is adapted correctly, just as your text content is.
3. Plan for technical challenges: Technical issues are often the hardest to resolve, so ensure robust technical support. Use flexible layouts, implement UTF-8, avoid hard-coded formats, and ensure future language support.
4. Maintain consistency: Use glossaries and termbases to keep brand terms consistent across all products, and style guides to ensure brand alignment across languages.
5. Automate your process: Localization automation is crucial for staying competitive and keeping pace with competitors. Integrate localization into CI/CD, use translation management systems, and automate quality checks.
6. Test before launch: Conduct functional QA, linguistic testing, and UI verification before release. Rushing the process may result in an app with untranslated content or technical errors, which can harm the user experience.

Final thoughts

Mobile app localization is a complex but advantageous process. It requires a combination of technical readiness, cultural awareness, and thoughtful design choices. When you understand the most common challenges and plan for them in advance, you can enter new markets with confidence and deliver an experience that feels truly native to your users.

The issues involved in adapting an app for a new language and market range from technical adjustments to creative decisions, and in some cases even require new features or workflows. By building your product with localization in mind from the very beginning, the entire expansion process becomes faster, smoother, and far more cost-efficient.

Ultimately, successful localization is not just about translating text—it’s about creating a product that resonates with a new culture. With the proper preparation and strategy, your mobile app can reach global audiences and deliver meaningful value in every market you choose to enter.