mirror of
https://github.com/meshtastic/Meshtastic-Android.git
synced 2026-07-03 14:06:34 +02:00
James Rich
103 lines
4.1 KiB
Markdown
103 lines
4.1 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Translate the App
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parent: User Guide
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nav_order: 17
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last_updated: 2026-06-25
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description: How the app and its documentation are translated via Crowdin, and guidelines for contributing translations.
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aliases:
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- translate
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- crowdin
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- localization
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---
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# Translate the App
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Contributing translations helps make Meshtastic accessible to a wider audience. The app uses [Crowdin](https://crowdin.com/) to manage community translations for both the user interface and in-app documentation.
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---
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## What Gets Translated
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| Resource | Source Location | Notes |
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|---|---|---|
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| UI strings | `composeResources/values/strings.xml` | Buttons, labels, messages, and all user-visible text |
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| User Guide pages | `docs/user/*.md` | In-app documentation shown in Help & Documentation |
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| Fastlane metadata | `fastlane/metadata/android/en-US/` | App Store listing title, description, and changelogs |
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> ⚠️ **Note:** Developer Guide pages are English-only. Code-focused documentation targeting contributors is not translated.
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---
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## How to Contribute
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1. **Visit the Crowdin project.** Open the [Meshtastic Android Crowdin project](https://crowdin.com/project/meshtastic-android) and sign in or create a free account.
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2. **Choose your language.** Select an existing language or request a new one by opening a [GitHub issue](https://github.com/meshtastic/Meshtastic-Android/issues/new).
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3. **Translate strings.** Crowdin shows the English source on the left and your translation on the right. Translate each string and save.
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4. **Review context.** Many strings include screenshots or context comments — check these to understand where the text appears in the app.
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5. **Submit.** Approved translations are automatically merged into the next release.
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> 💡 **Tip:** Keep translations short. UI strings often appear in buttons, chips, or narrow columns. If a translation is significantly longer than the English original, consider abbreviating where the meaning stays clear.
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---
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## Adding a New Language
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If your language is not yet listed on Crowdin:
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1. Open an issue on [GitHub](https://github.com/meshtastic/Meshtastic-Android/issues/new) requesting the new locale.
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2. A maintainer will add the language to Crowdin and configure `crowdin.yml`.
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3. Once added, you can begin translating immediately.
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---
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## How Translations Are Organized
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The Android app uses **Compose Multiplatform resources** for all user-visible strings:
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```
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core/resources/src/commonMain/composeResources/
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├── values/ ← English (default)
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│ └── strings.xml
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├── values-de/ ← German
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│ └── strings.xml
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├── values-fr/ ← French
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│ └── strings.xml
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└── ...
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```
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In-app documentation follows a similar pattern under `docs/`:
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```
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docs/
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├── en/user/ ← English source (default)
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│ ├── onboarding.md
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│ └── ...
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├── fr-rFR/user/ ← French (France)
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│ ├── onboarding.md
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│ └── ...
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├── de-rDE/user/ ← German (Germany)
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│ └── ...
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└── ...
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```
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Locale folders use the Android resource convention `{lang}-r{REGION}` (e.g. `fr-rFR`, `de-rDE`, `ja-rJP`), matching the `values-*` directories used for app strings.
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The app automatically selects the correct locale based on your device's **Language & Region** settings.
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---
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## Translation Guidelines
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- **Do not translate** technical terms like "LoRa", "MQTT", "BLE", "TAK", "SNR", or "RSSI" — these are universal.
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- **Keep placeholders intact.** Strings like `%1$s` or `%d` are filled in at runtime. Do not remove or reorder them unless the grammar of your language requires it.
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- **Match tone.** The app uses a friendly, direct voice. Avoid overly formal language.
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- **Test if possible.** Switch your device language and open the app to see how translations look in context.
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---
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## Questions?
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If you have questions about a specific string's context or need help getting started, open a discussion on the [Meshtastic GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/meshtastic/Meshtastic-Android/discussions) page.
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Thank you for helping expand the reach of Meshtastic!
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