Can the Houzez app be published in Arabic, right to left?
Yes. The official Houzez mobile app supports any language your Houzez website is in, left-to-right or right-to-left, including Arabic and Kurdish. Each app is published in one language, which you choose. Non-Latin scripts need a font that covers them, and on a multilingual site your property types, cities, statuses and features need translating in WordPress.
The rest of this page covers the three things that decide how well an Arabic or Kurdish app turns out: the font, the state of your translations, and what you check before it goes to the stores.
What does "one language per app" mean?
Each app is published in one language. When you send us your brand details, alongside the icon, colours and app name, you tell us which language the app should be in and whether it reads left-to-right or right-to-left. The app supports both directions properly, including Arabic and Kurdish layouts.
That choice also decides what the app asks your website for. Your app doesn't hold a copy of your data: every search, listing and enquiry comes live from your existing Houzez site, and the app requests that content in the one language you chose.
If your site is in Arabic only, the multilingual section below doesn't apply to you. If it runs in two or more languages, read it before you test.
Which font will an Arabic or Kurdish app use?
If your language uses a non-Latin script, the app needs a font that covers it. There are two routes:
- We suggest one. If you don't have a brand typeface for Arabic script, we'll propose a font that covers your language.
- We use yours. If you have a licensed brand typeface that covers the script, we can use it.
Kurdish needs a specific check. Many Arabic fonts don't include the full Kurdish Sorani character set. A font that looks complete in Arabic can still be missing characters Sorani needs, so if you're publishing in Kurdish, tell us at the start and we'll pick a font accordingly.
If your Houzez site is multilingual, what does the app show?
The app asks your site for content in the language you chose for the app. Whether everything then appears in that language depends on what's translated in WordPress, and on how each listing was written.
| Content | What language it appears in |
|---|---|
| Property types, cities, statuses and features | The app's language, if they're translated in WordPress. Anything untranslated appears in the language it was written in. |
| Listing titles and descriptions | Whatever language each listing was written in. No setting changes this. |
The first row is the one to fix before testing. An Arabic app showing "Villa" or "For Sale" in English looks like a bug in the app, even though the site itself is fine: the term simply has no Arabic translation in WordPress. Go through your property types, cities, statuses and features and check each one has a translation in the app's language.
The second row is about your content, not the app. If some listings were only ever written in English, an Arabic app shows their titles and descriptions in English. The fix, if you want one, is to write those listings in Arabic on your site.
Because the app reads your site live, new listings, price changes and sold properties appear without a new release. Only changes to the app itself need a new build and another store review.
What should you check when testing an Arabic app?
Before anything is public, we upload your app for private testing: TestFlight on iPhone, and an internal-testing link on Android. Only the people you invite can install it. This is the stage where changes are cheap, so give it a few days.
For an app that isn't in English, check the language deliberately:
- Headings and buttons, on every screen you open
- Reading direction, throughout the app
- Property types, cities, statuses and features in search and filters. Anything in the wrong language is usually an untranslated term in WordPress.
- An unusual listing: one with a very long title, no photos or a price on request. Odd data is where problems hide.
When you send feedback, note whether each item is wrong in the app or in your website's data. An untranslated city is fixed in WordPress in a minute; a layout problem needs a new build. Screenshots help with both.
How long does it take, and what does it cost?
Most apps are live in two to four weeks from the order. The longest wait is Apple verifying your company for a developer account, which takes one to two weeks, so start that on day one.
The app costs $1,499 for iPhone and Android, or $999 for one platform, paid once with the first year of updates included. Apple charges $99 a year for a developer account and Google charges $25 once; you pay them directly. Our team rebrands the app, connects it to your site, takes it through App Store and Google Play review, and delivers it under your own accounts.
Key facts
- The Houzez app supports any language your website is in, left-to-right or right-to-left, including Arabic and Kurdish.
- Each Houzez app is published in one language.
- A non-Latin script needs a font that covers it; we can suggest one, or use your licensed brand typeface.
- Many Arabic fonts don't include the full Kurdish Sorani character set, so Kurdish apps need a font chosen for it.
- On a multilingual site, property types, cities, statuses and features that aren't translated in WordPress appear in their original language.
- Listing titles and descriptions appear in whatever language each listing was written in.
- During testing, check headings, buttons and reading direction in your language.
Where to go next
Language, reading direction and fonts are covered on brand and store listing. The multilingual checks are on your Houzez website, and testing your app explains TestFlight, internal testing and what to look for. When you're ready, choose your plan.