The lack of Russian language in a mobile game on Android often manifests itself immediately after installation, when the interface and subtitles remain in English or Chinese due to the fact that the developers did not include localization for the CIS in the final build.
Modern tools allow modify APK files directly on your smartphone, replacing text resources without the need to use complex software on your computer. The process requires care, but the result is a completely understandable interface and plot.
In this article we will look at how to translate the game yourself using available editor applications. You'll learn how to find string resources, edit XML files, and properly sign your application for installation.
Preparing tools and files
Before you begin, you need to make sure you have the game source file. This could be .apk a package downloaded from a third-party store, or an already installed application that you want to change. To work, we will need specialized software.
The most popular and functional tool is MT Manager. It allows you to view the archive structure, edit resources and sign the final file. An alternative is APK Editor Pro, but it often has reduced functionality in free versions.
You will also need a sufficient amount of free memory. The decompilation and recompilation process creates temporary files that can take up significant space. Make sure you have at least 500 MB of free space on your disk.
Always make a backup copy of the original APK file before editing. If something goes wrong, you can quickly restore a working version of the game.
Remember that some games use modification protection. If an application throws an integrity error when launched or simply crashes, it may be signed with a developer key with checksum verification. In such cases, simply replacing the text may not work.
⚠️ Attention: Modifying paid games to gain free access is a violation of copyright. This instruction is intended solely for translating free projects or games that you have officially purchased, for educational purposes.
Analysis of the APK file structure
After installing the editor, open the downloaded game file. You will see a tree structure of folders similar to that used in archivers on a computer. We are interested in specific directories where text data is stored.
The main body of text is usually located in the folder res/values. Here are files with the extension .xml, most often called strings.xml. It is in this file that all the labels of buttons, menus and dialogs are written.
However, not everything is so simple. In modern projects, strings may be scattered across different files or encrypted. Sometimes developers put texts in separate configuration files inside a folder assets. This complicates the task, since the data format may differ from standard XML.
| Resource Type | Location | Data Format | Editing complexity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard lines | res/values/strings.xml | XML | Low |
| Interface settings | res/xml/ | XML | Medium |
| Dialog scripts | assets/scripts/ | TXT / JSON / LUA | High |
| Textures with text | res/drawable/ | PNG / WEBP | Very high |
If you see files with names like strings_ru.xml or folder values-ru, you're in luck. This means that language support is already built-in, but simply disabled or empty. In this case, it is enough to fill in the existing fields with translations.
What to do if the strings.xml file is empty?
Sometimes developers put all strings into .so libraries or encrypt them. In this case, a simple text editor will not help; you will need a code disassembler, which is a task for advanced users.
Editing string resources
Open the file strings.xml in the built-in editor of your application. You will see a list of tags like <string name="start_game">Start Game</string>. Your task is to replace the text between the tags with the Russian equivalent without touching the attribute name.
String name (name) is a unique identifier that the application code uses to call the text. If you change it, the game will no longer understand which text to display where, which will lead to a crash or empty fields in the interface.
Be careful with special characters. In XML format, characters <, >, & and quotes have a service meaning. If they are necessary in your translation, they need to be escaped or constructs used <![CDATA[ ... ]]>.
- 📝 Keep the structure: Do not remove tags or change their order unless absolutely necessary.
- 🔤 Encoding: Make sure that the editor saves the file in encoding UTF-8, otherwise you will see "krakozyabry".
- 🚫 Avoid unnecessary things: Do not add spaces at the beginning or end of the line unless they are intended by the interface designer.
Sometimes the length of the text is critical. The button in the game can be designed for a short English word. The Russian translation is often longer. If the text does not fit, it may be cut off or fit into other interface elements.
⚠️ Attention: Some games load texts dynamically from the network. In this case, local editing of the file
strings.xmlwill have no effect, since the server will overwrite the values every time it starts.
☑️ Check before saving
Working with graphics and textures
The most the difficult stage is the text that is “sewn” directly into the pictures. Logos, action buttons, tooltips are often bitmap images in a folder res/drawable. You can’t translate them just like that.
To replace such content, you will need to find the original image, open it in a graphic editor (for example, Photoshop or free GIMP), erase the old text and write a new one on top, maintaining the font style.
Then the new image needs to be saved s with the same file name and place it in the same folder inside the APK, replacing the original. It is important to comply with the format (PNG, WebP) and dimensions, otherwise the game may not display the picture.
In some cases, it is easier to completely remove the text from the picture if it does not carry a critical semantic load, and leave the icon. But this is not suitable for story-based games, since the player will lose part of the narrative.
Replacing textures requires graphics skills. If you do not know how to select fonts and retouch images, it is better to focus on translating menus and dialogs via XML.
Building and signing a modified application
After making all changes, you must save the project. The editor will offer to recompile the resources. This process can take anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes depending on the power of your smartphone and the size of the game.
Android requires that all installed applications be cryptographically signed. The original developer signature is reset when the file is modified. You need to create your own signature (test key).
In the editor menu, find the function Sign APK (Sign APK). Select the created file and the app will generate a new installation package. Without this procedure, the system will throw an error Parse Error when trying to install.
Signature process:1. Selecting the .apk file
2. Key generation (keystore)
3. Digital signature
4. Creating a file name_signed.apk
Remove the old version of the game from your phone before installing the new one. Since the signatures of the original and your assembly are different, the system will not allow an update “on top” without deleting the data. This will result in the loss of progress if it is not saved in the cloud.
⚠️ Attention: The interfaces of editor applications may change with updates. If you don't find the "Sign" button in the usual place, look for it in the file's context menu or in the tools section.
Error elimination and debugging
Run the translated game. Check all menu sections carefully. It often happens that some line was skipped or displayed incorrectly due to word wrapping. Also watch out for application crashes.
If the game crashes immediately upon launch, most likely you have violated the syntax of the XML file. Check that all tags are closed and there are no typos in attribute names. An error in one line can ruin the entire application.
In rare cases, the problem lies in the size of the file. Some older versions of Android or specific launchers have a resource limit. Try compressing graphics or removing unused language packs (for example, folders values-fr, values-de) to make the application easier.
- 🐞 Error log: Use LogCat or built-in debugging tools to see the reason for the crash.
- 🔄 Rollback: If all else fails, restore the game from a backup and try edit only part of the files.
- 🧩 Conflicts: Make sure that you are not editing files that are generated dynamically by the game engine.
Don't be discouraged if it doesn't work out perfectly the first time. Localization is an iterative process. Often, several “edit-build-test” cycles are required to achieve a high-quality result.
Why does the game crash after translation?
Most often the reason is a violation of the XML structure (unclosed tag) or that the game checks the integrity of files through hash sums. In the second case, you need a patch to verify the signature.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is it possible to translate an online game (MMORPG, shooter)?
In most cases, no. Texts in online games are stored on the server and downloaded over the network. Changing files locally will either have no effect or will lead to account blocking for modifying the client.
Why are squares displayed instead of Russian letters?
This is an encoding problem. The file strings.xml must be saved strictly in the format UTF-8. Also make sure that the file itself does not contain hidden BOM symbols, which some editors add automatically.
Do you need Root access to translate games?
No, it is not necessary. You edit the installation file (APK) in the phone's memory and then install it like a regular application. root access is required only to edit system applications included in the firmware.
Is it safe to download APK Editor from third-party sites?
Be careful. Download tools only from trusted resources, such as 4PDA or official GitHub developer. Modified versions of editors may contain viruses or miners.
What to do if the text does not fit into the button?
Try to shorten the translation using abbreviations or synonyms. The radical solution is to edit the layout file (.xml in the folder layout) to increase the size of the text area, but this requires deep knowledge of Android layout.