CODEWITHSUNDEEP
androidlocalization
Terry Bu
Terry Bu

Reputation: 899

Is it "bad" to publish two separate apps for two separate languages?

I have an app I want to publish in both Korean and English. However, after researching the localization methods for Android, it seems that there's a lot disadvantages to the "translation" method where you dump different string xml files into the res folder, like you won't be able to fine-code any particular function for one language and not the other (for example, in my application's clock that lives within the app, the English version will display "7:50AM is the current time" while I want the Korean version to display "it is 7'O Clock and 50 minutes (in Korean)". And there's extra strings in the English version that's not in the Korean version ... so it's kind of a mess.

Are there any disadvantages or conventional wisdom against making two separate apps? (except for the fact that any future updates you make, you will have to do it into two different projects)?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 369

Answers (2)

tanou
tanou

Reputation: 1093

There are some disadvantages making different apps for different languages:

  • you outlined the first one, which is update your app.
  • that can be confusing on the store. If I look for your application and I get 5 different versions that is worse than having a single version that automatically adopt my language.
  • you will get less download. Your app is visible depending on the note and the download count. With, for example, 5 app, you will potentially get 5 times less download than a single app. This is a, in my opinion, the most important reason.
  • think about, if you make a "pro" version, you will have like 2*(number of language) apps. that will be a potential big mess.
  • If a user change its smartphone settings (move from english to french for example) the app will automatically change language. With your solution he will have to re download the right one.

Upvotes: 3

Simpalm
Simpalm

Reputation: 1

instead of trying to upload two applications you will try to set multiple languages option within one application .It’s best option because most of successful application which is supporting multiple languages available on play-store have only one version.

Upvotes: 0

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