Resolving App Language Change Issues on API 22 Devices in Android

Learn how to effectively change your app's language for devices running on API 22 and ensure proper localization in Android.
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How to Change App Language in Devices with API 22: A Comprehensive Guide

When developing Android applications, ensuring your app can accommodate multiple languages is essential for reaching a broader audience. However, some developers face challenges when trying to change app languages on older devices, particularly those running on API level 22. In this guide, we delve into a specific issue where, despite the correct implementation of language change functionality, strings do not update as expected on API 22 devices. We will also explore the effective solutions and best practices to overcome this hurdle.

Understanding the Issue

As you may already know, localization is critical in developing apps for diverse users. The code snippet provided aims to facilitate changing the app's language based on user preference. However, developers have noticed that while the language switch works seamlessly for devices on API 23 and above, it merely adjusts the layout direction without translating strings on API 22 devices. Here's the critical part of the frustration experienced:

String translations don't reflect on API 22; only layout direction changes.

Key Components of the Implementation

The given implementation includes two main components:

Profile Fragment: Responsible for the UI that triggers the language change.

Splash Activity: Initial screen that sets the appropriate locale before navigating to the main part of the app.

The problematic aspect lies in the way the locale is set and how the strings are referenced based on the API level of the device.

The Solution: Correcting String Resource Names

Fortunately, the solution to the language change issue on API 22 devices is rather straightforward. Here's what you need to do to resolve the problem:

Step 1: Rename the Arabic Strings File

The core of the problem stemmed from the naming convention used for the Arabic string resources. Change the file name of your Arabic strings resource from:

strings-ar-rEG.xml

To simply:

This change is pivotal because it ensures that the app properly recognizes the Arabic strings for devices operating on API 22.

Step 2: Verify Locale Settings

After making the changes to the string resource file, double-check your locale setting code. The setLocale method implementation across both Profile Fragment and Splash Activity should work with the updated string resource naming.

Keep the following code in mind:

Ensure you are saving the selected locale using PrefManager.

After setting the locale, launch the SplashActivity to refresh the locale settings.

Additional Considerations

When working with API-level differences, be mindful of the following:

Test across different API levels to confirm stability.

Always provide a fallback in case the preferred language is unavailable.

Conclusion

Now armed with this knowledge, you can ensure that your app caters to all users, regardless of their language preferences. Happy coding!