Your App Store Listing in Arabic and English: A Guide for Lebanese Apps

A Lebanese business can spend months and thousands of dollars building an app, then write its App Store and Google Play listing in an afternoon, in English only, with screenshots taken straight from the simulator. The listing is the first thing anyone sees. For most people it decides whether they tap Install.

For an app that serves Lebanon, the listing has a particular job: it has to work for people whose phones are set to Arabic, to English and to French, who search in all three, and who may type Arabic words in Latin letters. This guide covers what goes into a listing, how to handle Arabic properly, and who to hire for each part.

What a listing is made of

Both stores ask for broadly the same pieces, with different limits:

• Google Play: an app name of up to 30 characters, a short description of up to 80 characters, a full description of up to 4,000 characters, an icon, a feature graphic, screenshots, and optionally a promo video added as a YouTube link.
• App Store: an app name of up to 30 characters, a subtitle of up to 30 characters, a description of up to 4,000 characters, a keyword field limited to 100 bytes, screenshots and optional app previews.

Both stores let you add a separate version of the listing text for each language, and both let you upload screenshots per language. That is where a Lebanese app should use the second and third language, rather than squeezing everything into one.

Limits change from time to time, so check the current figures in Google Play Console and App Store Connect as you write.

Which listing will people actually see?

A person generally sees the listing that matches the language of their phone or their store, falling back to your default language when there is no match. In Lebanon that means a mixed audience: many people keep their phones in English or French, and many in Arabic.

Two practical consequences:

• Do not treat the English listing as the "foreign" one. For many of your Lebanese customers it is the main one. Name the places, services and terms they would recognise.
• Write the Arabic listing for Arabic-set phones, which in Lebanon and the wider region is a large part of the audience, especially if you also target the Gulf.

If French matters to your customers, add a French listing too. It costs one more round of writing and one more set of screenshot captions.

Write the Arabic listing, do not just translate it

A translated listing reads like a translated listing. The name, subtitle and short description have very little room, and each word has to earn its place in Arabic on its own terms.

• Decide on the register. Most listings read best in clear Modern Standard Arabic, with the occasional familiar word. A listing aimed only at Lebanese users can be warmer; one aimed at the Gulf too may need to be more neutral.
• Keep the brand name consistent. If your brand is written in Latin letters, decide whether it also appears in Arabic script, and use the same spelling everywhere.
• Watch the App Store keyword field. Its limit is counted in bytes, not letters, and Arabic letters take more bytes than Latin ones. So fewer Arabic words fit than you would expect. Check the count App Store Connect shows rather than assuming.

An Arabic content writer who knows app copy can do this far better than a translation tool. If you already have strong English copy, an Arabic–English translator who adapts rather than translates word for word is the other option.

Screenshots: show the real Arabic app

This is where many Arabic listings go wrong. Arabic captions laid over screenshots of the English interface, with everything still running left to right, tell an Arabic-speaking user straight away that the app was not really built for them.

• Take the Arabic screenshots from the app running in Arabic, with the interface mirrored right to left, the navigation on the correct side, and Arabic text in the fields.
• Show the app doing its job. Apple's guidelines ask that screenshots show the app in use and that metadata be accurate; a screenshot that is only a slogan or a stock photo can cause problems at review.
• Put the main idea in the first two or three screenshots. Many people never scroll further. One idea per screenshot, with a short caption.
• Use real-looking local data. Lebanese names, areas and prices in the currency your app actually uses read far better than placeholder text.

If the Arabic interface itself is not finished, fix that before the listing. Our guide to hiring a UI/UX designer covers what right-to-left design involves.

Keywords and search in three scripts

People in Lebanon search in English, in Arabic, in French, and sometimes in Arabic written with Latin letters and numbers. A few habits help:

• On the App Store, the name, subtitle and keyword field all feed search. Separate keywords with commas, and do not spend the limited space repeating words already in your name or subtitle.
• On Google Play, there is no keyword field; the store reads your title and descriptions. Write naturally. Google's policies prohibit stuffing descriptions with repeated keywords.
• Think about how people will spell you. If your brand or product is an Arabic word, customers may type it in several Latin spellings. Where it fits naturally, cover the most common one.

A short video, if it helps

A promo video or app preview is optional in both stores. It helps most when the app is easier to show than to describe, such as a booking flow or a delivery tracker. On Google Play it is added as a YouTube link; on the App Store, previews are uploaded directly and have their own length and format rules. A motion graphics designer can make a short piece from your screens, and it can double as a launch post on social media.

Before you submit

Run through this list:

1. Listing text written for each language you support, not machine-translated.
2. Screenshots taken from the app in each language, with Arabic running right to left.
3. The first two or three screenshots carry the main idea.
4. App name, subtitle and short description within the limits in each language.
5. Keyword field checked in App Store Connect for the byte limit.
6. Privacy details and contact information filled in and accurate.
7. The store accounts registered in your company's name, not the developer's.

The last point matters beyond the listing. Our guide to writing a mobile app brief explains why the store accounts, code and servers should all be in your name.

What it costs

On Furrsati, typical prices are:

• Full app UI design, for 10 to 20 or more screens including flows and a prototype: typically $1,500 to $4,000.
• A simple mobile app MVP: typically $2,500 to $7,500. Our mobile app cost guide explains what moves that figure.
• Arabic content writing: typically $0.02 to $0.05 per word.
• Arabic–English translation: typically $0.04 to $0.12 per word.
• A motion graphics piece of 15 to 30 seconds: typically $80 to $300.

A listing in two or three languages is short, so the writing is usually a small job. The screenshots are the larger one, especially if the Arabic interface still needs work.

Hiring and paying safely

Ask a designer for a listing or app they worked on that has an Arabic version live in the stores, and look at the Arabic screenshots yourself. Ask a writer to draft the Arabic subtitle and short description as a paid test before you commit to the rest. Our guides to hiring a mobile app developer, hiring an Arabic content writer and hiring a motion graphics designer cover what to check for each.

This is where Furrsati removes the risk. You post your project, compare proposals from verified freelancers, fund a milestone, and release payment only once you've approved the work, with milestone funds held by Stripe until you release them. The service fee comes off the freelancer's side, so only standard card processing is added to your bill, and wallet-funded milestones carry none. Freelancers verify their identity before they can withdraw; as a client you need no verification. Payouts reach the freelancer inside Lebanon by OMT, Whish, bank transfer or USDT.

A sensible split is one milestone for the listing text in each language, and a second for the screenshot set.

Your next step

Open your app's listing on a phone set to Arabic and look at it as a stranger would. Then hire an app UI/UX designer for the Arabic screenshots, an Arabic content writer or an Arabic–English translator for the text, a motion graphics designer for a preview, and a mobile app developer if the Arabic interface itself needs fixing first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should a Lebanese app have its store listing in Arabic?

Usually yes, alongside English. People generally see the listing that matches their phone or store language, and in Lebanon many phones are set to Arabic while many others are set to English or French. Add French too if it matters to your customers.

What are the character limits for App Store and Google Play listings?

At the time of writing, Google Play allows a 30-character app name, an 80-character short description and a 4,000-character full description. The App Store allows a 30-character name, a 30-character subtitle, a 4,000-character description and a keyword field of 100 bytes. Check the consoles for current limits.

Why do fewer Arabic keywords fit in the App Store keyword field?

The keyword field is limited in bytes, not letters, and Arabic letters take more bytes than Latin ones. Check the count App Store Connect shows while you type.

Can I just put Arabic captions on my English screenshots?

It is better not to. Arabic-speaking users expect to see the app running in Arabic, right to left. Take the Arabic screenshots from the app in Arabic, and keep captions short.

How much does it cost to localise an app store listing in Lebanon?

On Furrsati, Arabic content writing typically costs $0.02 to $0.05 per word and Arabic–English translation $0.04 to $0.12 per word, so the listing text is a small job. Screenshots depend on whether the Arabic interface is ready; full app UI design typically costs $1,500 to $4,000.

Who should own the App Store and Google Play developer accounts?

Your company. Register the accounts in your business's name and give the developer access, so you keep the app and its listing if you change developers.