Localize App Store Screenshots to French
Français
France + Canada (Quebec) + Belgium + Switzerland = ~80M native speakers.
Why French matters
France is a top-tier European App Store market, and French also spans Quebec, Belgium, Switzerland and much of Africa, but the language polices register far more than English does. Copy that says 'Tu vas adorer' in a productivity or B2B app instantly reads as un-localized machine output; default to formal 'vous' and reserve 'tu' for consumer apps aimed at under-25s.
Build habits that actually stick
Adoptez des habitudes qui durent vraiment
Localization tips for French
- 1 Default to formal 'vous'; use 'tu' only for consumer apps clearly aimed at a young audience.
- 2 French typography puts a narrow non-breaking space before ; : ! ? and inside guillemets « ». Most design tools drop it and break the line in the wrong place.
- 3 Keep accents on capital letters (É, À, Ç); dropping them ('Etats-Unis' for 'États-Unis') is common but incorrect and looks sloppy.
- 4 Use French guillemets « » for quotations rather than English '', and the œ ligature in words like 'cœur' and 'œuvre'.
- 5 Quebec French (fr-CA) diverges in vocabulary ('courriel' vs 'e-mail', 'magasiner' vs 'faire du shopping'), so target fr-FR and fr-CA separately if Canada matters.
- 6 Budget about 15-20% more horizontal space than English.
Fonts for French
Marianne (the official French State typeface), Spectral, or Inter. Confirm coverage of the œ/Œ ligature (as in 'cœur'), the ç cedilla, accented capitals (É, À, Ç) and the guillemets « ». Many fonts ship « » but lack the precomposed accented uppercase glyphs.
Most common mistake
Using 'tu' in professional or B2B app copy. To French business users it signals 'we machine-translated and didn't actually localize', undermining credibility more than leaving the copy in English would.
French localization FAQ
What App Store Connect locale code should I use for French?
Use fr-FR when adding French (Français) screenshots in App Store Connect or Google Play Console. Using the wrong code means your localized screenshots never reach French users.
Does text expansion affect French screenshot design?
French runs +20% 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 French.
Does Shotlingo automatically localize screenshots to French?
Yes. Shotlingo auto-translates your App Store screenshot text to French (Français) with AI that respects text expansion, and platform-appropriate fonts. Export the localized bundle ready for App Store Connect locale fr-FR.
Do I have to translate my App Store screenshots to French?
If French 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 French automatically
Shotlingo handles expansion, fonts, and App Store Connect locale codes for you. Free to try.
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