How-to
How to localize App Store screenshots
Updated · by the AppShot team
To localize App Store screenshots: (1) choose the languages your downloads come from, (2) write short captions in your main language, (3) translate them and have a native speaker check them, (4) export one screenshot set per language, and (5) upload each set under that language in App Store Connect and Google Play Console.
Only the caption text usually needs to change; the app UI in the screenshot can stay the same unless your app itself is localized.
AppShot translates every caption into 17 languages in one click with your own AI key (Groq has a free one) and exports a ZIP with one folder per language. Free to design, $9.99 once to export.
Translate your captions freeStep 1: Which languages should I localize screenshots into?
Start with the countries where you already get impressions or downloads, then add large stores where your app could grow. In App Store Connect, check App Analytics by territory. In Google Play Console, check Statistics by country.
A language only helps if people in that market see it. On the App Store, localized metadata shows to users whose device language matches, and in countries where the App Store supports that language but not your primary one (Apple: Localize app information).
Step 2: How do I write captions that translate well?
Keep each caption to one short benefit, 2–6 words where possible. Short text survives translation, which often makes text noticeably longer (German, French) or changes its direction (Arabic is right-to-left).
- Avoid puns, idioms and wordplay that only work in English.
- Leave room in the layout: caption boxes should handle about one extra line.
- Put numbers and features in the caption ("Scan 50 pages offline"), not in the background image, so they can be translated.
Step 3: How do I translate the captions?
There are three common options. Most indie developers use AI translation for the first draft and ask a native speaker to check it.
| Method | Cost | Speed | Quality notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional translator / agency | Paid per word or per language | Days | Best for marketing tone; ask for store-listing experience |
| AI translation (ChatGPT, Groq, DeepL…) | Free to cents | Seconds | Good first draft; check tone, length and brand terms |
| Community / native-speaker friends | Free | Varies | Great final check; hard to scale to many languages |
Check RTL and non-Latin scripts
For Arabic and Hebrew, captions read right-to-left; check alignment and punctuation. For Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Hindi, make sure your font has the glyphs, or text falls back to a different font.
Step 4: How do I export one set per language?
Export every language at the same pixel sizes, named so you can find them while uploading (for example de/iphone-01.png). See the App Store and Google Play screenshot sizes for the exact dimensions each store requires.
Step 5: Where do I upload localized screenshots?
App Store Connect: open your app version, choose the language from the language menu at the top right, then upload that language's screenshots. A newly added language starts with your primary-language screenshots until you replace them (Apple: Upload screenshots).
Google Play Console: in your store listing, add the language as a translation, then upload graphics for that language.
How AppShot does it
- Design your screenshots once in English (or any language) in the free studio.
- Paste an AI key in AI Settings. Groq offers a free key; OpenAI and any OpenAI-compatible service also work. The key stays on your device.
- Click translate. Captions are rewritten for 17 languages: English, Spanish, French, Turkish, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Hindi, Dutch, Swedish, Portuguese (Brazil), Polish, Korean, Indonesian.
- Review each language, then export from the desktop app: one folder per language at full store resolution.
AppShot is free to design in your browser, translates captions into 17 languages with AI, and the Windows & Mac app exports every set for $9.99 once, no subscription.
Open the studioFAQ
Do localized screenshots increase downloads?
They make your listing readable in the user's language, which is why both Apple and Google let you upload screenshots per language. How much it helps depends on your app and markets, so measure conversion per country before and after in App Store Connect and Play Console.
Do I have to localize screenshots if I localize my description?
No. Screenshots are optional per language. If you do not upload them, App Store Connect uses your primary-language screenshots for that language.
Can I translate App Store screenshots for free?
Yes. Use a free AI key (for example Groq) for the first draft and have a native speaker review it. In AppShot, designing and translating are free; exporting full-resolution sets needs the $9.99 desktop app.
How many languages does the App Store support?
App Store Connect supports dozens of languages and regional variants for metadata. You can add as many as you like; each one can have its own screenshots.
Should the app UI inside the screenshot be translated too?
Ideally yes, if your app is localized. If it is not, translating only the captions is common and still helps people understand what the app does.