mirror of
https://github.com/meshtastic/Meshtastic-Android.git
synced 2026-07-03 14:06:34 +02:00
James Rich
103 lines
4.4 KiB
Markdown
103 lines
4.4 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
title: Translate the App
|
|
parent: User Guide
|
|
nav_order: 17
|
|
last_updated: 2026-06-25
|
|
description: How the app and its documentation are translated via Crowdin, and guidelines for contributing translations.
|
|
aliases:
|
|
- translate
|
|
- crowdin
|
|
- localization
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
# Translate the App
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## What Gets Translated
|
|
|
|
| Resource | Source Location | Белешке |
|
|
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|
|
| UI strings | `composeResources/values/strings.xml` | Buttons, labels, messages, and all user-visible text |
|
|
| User Guide pages | `docs/user/*.md` | In-app documentation shown in Help & Documentation |
|
|
| Fastlane metadata | `fastlane/metadata/android/en-US/` | App Store listing title, description, and changelogs |
|
|
|
|
> ⚠️ **Note:** Developer Guide pages are English-only. Code-focused documentation targeting contributors is not translated.
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## How to Contribute
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
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).
|
|
3. **Translate strings.** Crowdin shows the English source on the left and your translation on the right. Translate each string and save.
|
|
4. **Review context.** Many strings include screenshots or context comments — check these to understand where the text appears in the app.
|
|
5. **Submit.** Approved translations are automatically merged into the next release.
|
|
|
|
> 💡 **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.
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## Adding a New Language
|
|
|
|
If your language is not yet listed on Crowdin:
|
|
|
|
1. Open an issue on [GitHub](https://github.com/meshtastic/Meshtastic-Android/issues/new) requesting the new locale.
|
|
2. A maintainer will add the language to Crowdin and configure `crowdin.yml`.
|
|
3. Once added, you can begin translating immediately.
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## How Translations Are Organized
|
|
|
|
The Android app uses **Compose Multiplatform resources** for all user-visible strings:
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
core/resources/src/commonMain/composeResources/
|
|
├── values/ ← English (default)
|
|
│ └── strings.xml
|
|
├── values-de/ ← German
|
|
│ └── strings.xml
|
|
├── values-fr/ ← French
|
|
│ └── strings.xml
|
|
└── ...
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
In-app documentation follows a similar pattern under `docs/`:
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
docs/
|
|
├── en/user/ ← English source (default)
|
|
│ ├── onboarding.md
|
|
│ └── ...
|
|
├── fr-rFR/user/ ← French (France)
|
|
│ ├── onboarding.md
|
|
│ └── ...
|
|
├── de-rDE/user/ ← German (Germany)
|
|
│ └── ...
|
|
└── ...
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
The app automatically selects the correct locale based on your device's **Language & Region** settings.
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## Translation Guidelines
|
|
|
|
- **Do not translate** technical terms like "LoRa", "MQTT", "BLE", "TAK", "SNR", or "RSSI" — these are universal.
|
|
- **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.
|
|
- **Match tone.** The app uses a friendly, direct voice. Avoid overly formal language.
|
|
- **Test if possible.** Switch your device language and open the app to see how translations look in context.
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## Questions?
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
Thank you for helping expand the reach of Meshtastic!
|