Xcode ↔ Android

The strings converter is free to use without registration.

If you're looking for help with Loco's full support for Android or Xcode, see the linked pages. This page refers to the publicly available converter tool, which only provides a small subset of functionality.

The free converter tool takes the form of a strings editor, where you can upload many file formats and save them back as Xcode or Android strings. The interface is based on the same editor we developed for the Loco translator dashboard.

> Try the converter

Loading, editing and saving strings files

Drag any strings file onto the drop-zone (or click it to browse). Once uploaded, you'll see an in-browser editor where you can review and edit your strings.

Once you've reviewed your strings (and made any edits) click "Save" to download your converted file to Android or Xcode formats. You can also save your strings into a full-blown Loco project at this point.

Supported file formats

You can upload any of the file formats supported by Loco, but we recommend you upload either an Android XML, or Xcode XLIFF file to start.

Note that Android XML and (legacy) Xcode .strings files are not bi-lingual. Upload your source strings first (usually in English). Then click "Add translations" to upload a second file containing your target language.

You can upload a whole Xcode strings table from a .xcstrings file, but note that this demo editor will only select the first two languages in the table (for source and target).

Tip: You can export .xliff files from Xcode using "Export Localizations" from the Product menu. These files contain both the source text and the translations. They're also self-declaring, so the correct languages can be detected reliably.

Languages

The editor displays your "keys" with windows for editing the source (English) text and one target language. You can switch theses languages by typing into the text boxes above the editor.

When saving your strings, you'll see separate source and target downloads for formats that support only one language per file. The .xliff and .xcstrings formats will contain both.

Plurals

Android and Xcode both support plural variations, but make sure you select the correct target language before saving your file to ensure the plural forms are correct.

Legacy Xcode Strings reference plurals via a separate (stringsdict) property list, but the newer xcstrings format embeds the variations. When downloading XLIFF files, the original file you uploaded dictates which methodology gets used for plural references. The default is the old system, and this will be used if you originally uploaded an Android XML file.