Translation Services

Localisation for software, apps and content

More than translation. We adapt your product for each market and test it in context, so it feels local rather than translated.

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Localisation is the work of adapting a product for a particular market, not just translating its words. It covers the language, but also dates, currencies, units, address formats, sorting order, imagery and the small interface strings that have to fit a button or a screen. The aim is a version of your software, app or content that a user in that market experiences as native.

Prism Linguistics localises digital products into more than 300 languages. We translate the strings without touching your code, adapt what needs adapting, and test the built product so problems are caught before your users find them.

Why translation alone is not enough

Imagine an app translated perfectly, word for word, into French. The buttons still show dates as month-day-year. Prices are still in dollars. A name field still expects a first and last name in the American order. The text on three buttons now overflows because French runs longer than English. Every word is correct, and the app still feels foreign.

Localisation is the difference. It treats the product, not just the text, as the thing being adapted. That is why it matters for anything interactive: software, mobile apps, games, e-learning and connected devices.

We work with your files, not against your code

Developers worry, reasonably, about translators breaking things. We work with the standard localisation formats, including XLIFF, JSON, XML, .resx, .strings, gettext PO files and YAML, and we translate only the translatable text. Placeholders, variables, tags and code are left exactly as they are. If you use a localisation platform, we can usually work in it directly and fit around your release schedule.

What we localise

Digital products of every kind

Software

Desktop and web applications, dashboards and business tools, with the interface and documentation adapted together.

Mobile apps

iOS and Android apps, including app store listings, screenshots text and release notes.

Games

In-game text, menus, dialogue and store pages, with attention to character limits and tone.

E-learning

Courses, modules and assessments, including on-screen text, voiceover scripts and subtitles.

Connected devices

Interface text and instructions for hardware, appliances and IoT products.

In-context testing

A linguist reviews the built product, checking fit, placement and flow on real screens.

Questions people ask

Localisation FAQs

What is the difference between translation and localisation?
Translation converts the words. Localisation adapts the whole product for the market: date and number formats, currencies, units, address fields, sorting order, examples, imagery, tone, and text that has to fit a button or a screen. A localised app feels like it was made for the user, not translated for them.
What file formats do you work with?
We handle the common localisation formats: XLIFF, JSON, XML, .properties, .resx, .strings, gettext PO files, CSV and YAML. We translate the strings and leave your code, placeholders and variables untouched. If you use a localisation platform, we can usually work in it directly.
Do you test the localised product?
Yes. In-context linguistic testing means a linguist reviews the built product, not just the spreadsheet of strings. They check that nothing is cut off, that text fits its button, that the right string appears in the right place and that everything reads naturally on screen. It is the step that catches the problems a string list cannot show.
Can you handle ongoing releases?
Yes. Software is never finished, so we keep a translation memory and glossary for your product. Each release, we localise only the new and changed strings and reuse what is approved. We can work to your sprint or release schedule.
Which languages should we localise into first?
That depends on where your users and your growth are. Many products start with a handful of major markets and add languages as demand appears in the data. Tell us your priorities and we will advise on a sensible order rather than pushing every language at once.

Taking your product global?

Send us your string files and target languages. We will quote, and recommend a sensible rollout rather than everything at once.

Get a quote Call +44 (0) 20 3880 6688