The Missing Apple iOS Localization Term Glossary

Tweet 293 entries. Last updated: March 2021

Why make an iOS glossary?

Maybe we just wanted to give the world something to tweet about? Actually, localization is really hard. Sure, we make it look easy, but there is actually a lot of practical knowledge, skills, and resources that support every localization project. We know that, and we know localization managers and indie developers need our help. So we've crowdsourced the most critical iOS glossary terms to help check your translations and make them more Apple-y.

What's this crowdsourced glossary for?

Developers, translators, and localization professionals use glossaries to maintain consistency for common items and actions. Microsoft has one, but Apple's iOS doesn't. You'll find recommended translations for common gestures like Tap and hold, as well as system services like Notification Center and even handy translations for Twitter and basics like Forgot your password? Though often there are multiple translations for a word, and even Apple's support documents are sometimes maddeningly inconsistent, we've mostly suggested just our favorite to keep things simple.

Who made it?

Babble-on App Localization uses a much larger version of this glossary internally for the iPhone and iPad apps we localize every day. It was done by our winsome team of crowdsourced professional software translators who work on every project and we hope you find it helpful. Bookmark this page and also check out our other knowledge base articles, including iOS language codes and a step-by-step iOS localization tutorial.