How to export/import XLIFF in an app?

Question

risingtide OP

Created 3h

Replies 2

Boosts 0

Participants 3

This post is from the WWDC26 Localization Q&A.

I have a large dictionary of words in an app that I’d like to localize.

I'm thinking of asking a human translator (or AI agent) to translate them. I might translate each word by machine and include the translation in the data I provide to the translator as candidates.

How can I export this data to the translator in XLIFF format? Does iOS have API for XLIFF generation or interpretation? Are there decent open source options written in Swift?

Answer 1

Engineer OP

Apple

2h

Hi! Thanks for bringing this up today.

To send your dictionary to a human translator, you may go to Product -> Export Localization.

The export would contain an XCLOC which would contain the final XLIFF.

Here's all the things that this feature automatically includes:

Strings from .strings, .xcstrings, .stringsdict
Synthesized strings and xcstrings files for strings that are found in your source code
We also automatically extract from info.plist files
Files inside of any lproj
We also pickup content in asset catalogs
We also extract from interface builder, XIBs etc.

An AI agent may also be able to help you translate.

Answer 2

Developer Tools Engineer OP

Apple

2h

Note that the agentic translation features in Xcode 27 are targeted at translating strings inside String Catalogs, and in that case machine-translated strings will automatically get the leveraged-mt state-qualifier when exported to XLIFF.

If your dictionary is in some other format, agents may still be able to do a decent job, especially if they don't need to consider the context of those words in your app UI.

We still recommend human review from native speakers, which could happen via the Export Localizations feature described above, or via something like TestFlight.