To translate an iOS app with XLIFF files, import the XLIFF that Xcode exports into a POEditor project, translate the strings (plurals included) and export the localized files that you import back into Xcode.

XLIFF is a good choice when your app uses plural forms, because it keeps them in the same file as the rest of your strings.

1. Create a translation project

Log in to your account, create a new translation project and add your app's default language to it.

2. Import your iOS XLIFF file

In Xcode, the Export Localizations command creates an .xcloc package that contains the XLIFF file. In the POEditor project page, import your iOS XLIFF file and choose Also import translations to a language. Select your source language and check the option to get translations from the <source> tag instead of the <target> tag.

This language will automatically be suggested as your project's Default Reference Language after you import the translations. You can change the DRL in the project's Settings.

If the file also has translations in the <target> tag, create a new language for them and import the same file there.

3. Translate your strings

Add the languages you need, then translate them with AI, machine translation, your own contributors or human translators. See all translation options.

4. Export localized XLIFF files

Export the localized iOS XLIFF file at any time with Export in any translation page, then import it back into Xcode.

To export to the iOS XLIFF format, the project needs a Default Reference Language set in its settings.

Plurals from iOS XLIFF files are structured differently from other formats, so they can't be converted when you export to another format, or the other way around. See plural forms.

If you want to automate the import/export, use the POEditor API, one of the integrations with code hosting platforms or Workflows.

Using Xcode 15 or later? String Catalogs (.xcstrings) are also supported, and so are .stringsdict files.