App Store localization review checklist
Localization is not word substitution. Each locale becomes a public product promise that reviewers and users can compare against the app.
Create a locale promise map before submitting localized App Store metadata. Apple provides App Store Connect guidance for localizing app information, and App Review evaluates public metadata against actual app behavior. AppReviewReady interpretation: a translated listing should be truthful for that country, language, support route, and feature set.
Map each locale to product reality
For every locale, record supported language, country availability, currency, units, legal disclaimers, support coverage, payment availability, and feature differences. Do not assume the English listing can be translated without changing meaning.
If a feature is available only in selected markets, localized copy should say so before users install or pay.
Audit localized claims
- Feature names, regulated claims, subscription terms, support promises, and refund expectations.
- Screenshots, captions, app previews, and sample data shown in each locale.
- Privacy policy, terms, support URL, DSA trader details, and contact routes.
- Age-sensitive, medical, finance, contest, or location claims that vary by country.
- Search keywords that accidentally use competitor names or unsupported claims after translation.
Make localized review paths clear
If review may test a localized storefront, provide a route that works with the locale's app state. A translated screenshot should not require a country-only account unless review notes explain it.
AppReviewReady interpretation: localization errors often look like misleading metadata rather than translation mistakes. Treat each locale as its own review surface.
Run localization release checks
- Compare localized metadata with the in-app language and fallback language.
- Check screenshots against localized UI and actual feature availability.
- Verify legal, privacy, and support links from that storefront.
- Review machine-translated strings with someone who understands the product domain.
- Retest after adding a country, price, subscription, or regulated feature.
Locale promise record
The record helps growth teams localize for traffic without creating false promises. It also makes future storefront expansion easier to govern.
After launch, compare search queries, conversion, and support tickets by locale. Low conversion may mean the translated promise attracts the wrong audience or skips a local objection.
For regulated or support-heavy products, localize operational readiness before marketing ambition. A country-specific page that mentions tax, healthcare, education, finance, or safety should have the matching support route and escalation owner.
When a locale is translated by an agency, review product nouns and legal terms separately from grammar. A fluent translation can still change entitlement, privacy, or refund meaning in ways that create review risk.
If the app falls back to English after installation, say so through screenshots or onboarding where appropriate. Users should not discover after download that only the App Store page was localized.
Assign locale owners for high-value markets so updates do not depend on one launch translation. Storefront language, support language, and in-app language should evolve together.
Locale record: Locale/storefront: [value] Available features: [list] Unavailable features: [list] Support language: [language] Legal/privacy links: [verified] Screenshots matched: [yes/no] Review note needed: [yes/no]
Primary references checked for this guide
Policy statements above are grounded in the linked Apple documentation. Operational recommendations are AppReviewReady's interpretation and should be tested against your app and the current guideline text.
Check localized listing
Review localized metadata, screenshots, support, and country-specific promises before submission.
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