The short answer is: it depends.
Things to consider
- Country relevancy: if you're working on a food delivery app which covers cities in one country only, it makes sense to focus on that particular country and language. However, if your app isn't tied to any specific country or market, it may make sense to launch in as many languages as your budget allows.
- If your app isn't available in English, consider English as one of the high priority languages to translate into. Even outside of English speaking countries, English literacy can be significant, especially in the smartphone user segment.
- Popularity of the app category: various apps could be more popular in one country and less so in the other. With this interactive research tool you can dive into the activities of smartphone/tablet users by country.
- Competition: similar to the popularity, the competition can also vary by country. Do a research in the app stores to get some idea.
- Your budget: using the App Translation Service, translating a typical app and store description into one language may cost around USD50. Note that the translation price is calculated on a per-word basis, so your actual cost depends on the amount of text in your app and store description. Prices may also vary by language pairs and the vendor you select.
Recommended language bundles
When you order a translation in the Play Console, the language selection page shows:
- The top languages and countries where apps have been installed, broken down to the level of your app’s category
- The percentage of installs that come from users of those languages
- Further information to help inform your go-to-market plans for these countries
To use the app translation service, select Manage translations -> Purchase translations from the Store Listing page in the Google Play Console.
Useful tools and resources
- List of countries by English-speaking population (Wikipedia article)
- Consumer Barometer with Google (interactive data and research tool)