That’s normal anywhere (globally) in the app store.
Apps are made available in many countries, so even if e.g. an app for watching specific TV channels would be mainly intended for audiences in, say Sweden or Italy or Korean, and thus have the local language set as its default, it likely will also be available in other markets too.
The apps should follow the same language hierarchy as on macs, so whatever your primary language is set to, the app should be in that. And most apps have English language option. If you have a rarer language as primary, e.g. Finnish, and an app you want is not localized to Finnish, it will use the next language (often English).
If some apps in the app store selection don’t have English texts available, it either might not have them in the app (but what localizations are available should be listed in the specs before download), or the app maker might not have considered making specific app store infos specifically for a language and a geographical location. For instance if an app would help you learn Japanese grammar or Kanji spelling, the whole app might make sense only in Japanese, so there would not be much use of localized app info, yet it would definitely be good to have an option to find and use the app even if one wasn’t living in Japan.
Hi! I'm in France, where the App Store has lots of apps which are not in Srench. I'm a native English speaker, and have no problems finding apps in my own language, and have seen them in others, although obviously there are plenty of apps in the French language as well, some of which I also have.
Yep, this is very normal. When submitting an app developers can specify which countries an app is available in. Like other people said, there are valid reasons why an app aimed at one country might be available globally, even if it may not be obvious. A few years ago, I was visiting a large city in another country, and wanted to use the public transport there. Their website told me that I could buy tickets inside their app. Now if that app was available only in that country's app store, without jumping through hoops and making a new apple ID just for that country I couldn't get it and would have to look for a kiosk to buy a physical ticket, but because it was available anywhere I could just not only buy it online but also have that app give me schedules automatically based on my location and the nearest stop.
At the same time, developers will often restrict apps to different countries, for more or less annoying reasons. Many apps for streaming movies and television are restricted like this due to the contracts the streaming companies signed. For example, Hulu is only available in the US, and they physically restrict your usage of the service within US borders. So even if you have the app, and travel abroad, Hulu won't let you watch anything. So for this reason the Hulu app is only available in the US app store. Other reasons might also include apps being useless in certain countries because of missing data (IE Microsoft Soundscape and the Sendero GPS only supporting a handful of English speaking countries with mapping data), or the apps not being able to operate in certain countries due to local laws (for example many global social networks are banned in China, so their apps aren't available there)
@piotr I couldn't spell your name right I'm sorry. I understood your comment about globally releasing apps, and how by laws some countries wouldn't let apps show the content. I wasn't exactly asking about that. I just meant i found it a little strange that if I were say searching for, a thunderstorm app. I'd find a ton of weather related ones obviously. But then there might be one I couldn't even understand the name or description because it was written in a different language. So I was just curious about well how was that possible. i mean i know everyone doesn't speak the same language. I guess i have no idea why that struck me as odd. Thanks for all your responses. Oh and if my example is strange, it's because there's a monsoon going on right now. Have a good one.
Comments
Not sure but
I'm from South Africa and although most apps are in English, a few are in other languages.
Yes, apps come in many languages
That’s normal anywhere (globally) in the app store.
Apps are made available in many countries, so even if e.g. an app for watching specific TV channels would be mainly intended for audiences in, say Sweden or Italy or Korean, and thus have the local language set as its default, it likely will also be available in other markets too.
The apps should follow the same language hierarchy as on macs, so whatever your primary language is set to, the app should be in that. And most apps have English language option. If you have a rarer language as primary, e.g. Finnish, and an app you want is not localized to Finnish, it will use the next language (often English).
If some apps in the app store selection don’t have English texts available, it either might not have them in the app (but what localizations are available should be listed in the specs before download), or the app maker might not have considered making specific app store infos specifically for a language and a geographical location. For instance if an app would help you learn Japanese grammar or Kanji spelling, the whole app might make sense only in Japanese, so there would not be much use of localized app info, yet it would definitely be good to have an option to find and use the app even if one wasn’t living in Japan.
Several languages in French App Store
Hi! I'm in France, where the App Store has lots of apps which are not in Srench. I'm a native English speaker, and have no problems finding apps in my own language, and have seen them in others, although obviously there are plenty of apps in the French language as well, some of which I also have.
thanks everyone
I appreciate the answers. I'm a native English speaker, I just found that a little weird. Thanks for the responses.
App availability
Yep, this is very normal. When submitting an app developers can specify which countries an app is available in. Like other people said, there are valid reasons why an app aimed at one country might be available globally, even if it may not be obvious. A few years ago, I was visiting a large city in another country, and wanted to use the public transport there. Their website told me that I could buy tickets inside their app. Now if that app was available only in that country's app store, without jumping through hoops and making a new apple ID just for that country I couldn't get it and would have to look for a kiosk to buy a physical ticket, but because it was available anywhere I could just not only buy it online but also have that app give me schedules automatically based on my location and the nearest stop.
At the same time, developers will often restrict apps to different countries, for more or less annoying reasons. Many apps for streaming movies and television are restricted like this due to the contracts the streaming companies signed. For example, Hulu is only available in the US, and they physically restrict your usage of the service within US borders. So even if you have the app, and travel abroad, Hulu won't let you watch anything. So for this reason the Hulu app is only available in the US app store. Other reasons might also include apps being useless in certain countries because of missing data (IE Microsoft Soundscape and the Sendero GPS only supporting a handful of English speaking countries with mapping data), or the apps not being able to operate in certain countries due to local laws (for example many global social networks are banned in China, so their apps aren't available there)
yes
I can't speak for the UK, but there are apps in other languages in the australian store.
I know someone that uses one to watch turkish television on their apple tv.
I appreciate all the responses.
@piotr I couldn't spell your name right I'm sorry. I understood your comment about globally releasing apps, and how by laws some countries wouldn't let apps show the content. I wasn't exactly asking about that. I just meant i found it a little strange that if I were say searching for, a thunderstorm app. I'd find a ton of weather related ones obviously. But then there might be one I couldn't even understand the name or description because it was written in a different language. So I was just curious about well how was that possible. i mean i know everyone doesn't speak the same language. I guess i have no idea why that struck me as odd. Thanks for all your responses. Oh and if my example is strange, it's because there's a monsoon going on right now. Have a good one.