Localize App Store Screenshots to Arabic
العربية
MENA region = ~400M Arabic speakers. Saudi Arabia + UAE have the highest smartphone ARPU in MENA.
Why Arabic matters
Arabic is right-to-left, and RTL is a layout problem, not a text-direction toggle: icons, directional arrows, progress bars and navigation chevrons all have to mirror while numerals and Latin brand names stay LTR. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have the highest smartphone ARPU in MENA, and Gulf users judge a listing on whether it feels natively built or merely flipped. Decide up front between Modern Standard Arabic and a Gulf or Egyptian dialect, because the register you choose signals who the app is really for.
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Localization tips for Arabic
- 1 Mirror everything: layout, icons, directional arrows, progress bars and back chevrons. A 'next' arrow (→) must point (←).
- 2 Do NOT mirror media play buttons (▶), clocks, musical notes or brand logos; these keep their standard orientation.
- 3 Arabic is a connected cursive script whose letters change shape by position (initial, medial, final, isolated), so never letter-space or 'track' Arabic to fit a box. It shatters the joins.
- 4 Numerals and prices stay LTR inside the RTL run; pick either Western digits (9.99) or Eastern Arabic digits (٩٫٩٩) and stay consistent, with Gulf listings usually using Western digits.
- 5 Choose register deliberately: MSA (فصحى) for formal and finance apps, Gulf dialect for Saudi/UAE consumer apps, Egyptian for broad entertainment reach.
- 6 Use a real Arabic typeface with proper positional shaping and harakat support (Noto Sans Arabic, SF Arabic or IBM Plex Arabic), not a Latin font's bolt-on 'Arabic glyphs'.
Fonts for Arabic
Noto Sans Arabic, SF Arabic (iOS system) or IBM Plex Arabic. All give correct positional letter shaping and full harakat/diacritic (tashkeel) marks; avoid Latin fonts that merely append Arabic glyphs, which break the cursive letter-joining.
Most common mistake
Translating the copy but leaving the layout left-to-right. Headline on the wrong side, arrows pointing the wrong way, CTA misplaced. Arabic users read this as 'not actually localized', and it is more off-putting than an all-English screenshot.
Arabic localization FAQ
What App Store Connect locale code should I use for Arabic?
Use ar-SA when adding Arabic (العربية) screenshots in App Store Connect or Google Play Console. Using the wrong code means your localized screenshots never reach Arabic users.
Does text expansion affect Arabic screenshot design?
Arabic runs +25% vs English on average character count. You should design buttons and headlines with explicit overflow headroom, because text that fits in English will break in Arabic.
Does Shotlingo automatically localize screenshots to Arabic?
Yes. Shotlingo auto-translates your App Store screenshot text to Arabic (العربية) with AI that respects text expansion, RTL layout mirroring, and platform-appropriate fonts. Export the localized bundle ready for App Store Connect locale ar-SA.
Do I have to translate my App Store screenshots to Arabic?
If Arabic is a major market for your app, yes. Unlocalized screenshots significantly reduce conversion, because users scroll past copy they cannot read. Even partial localization (headlines only) typically beats English-only.
Localize your screenshots to Arabic automatically
Shotlingo handles expansion, fonts, RTL mirroring, and App Store Connect locale codes for you. Free to try.
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