Translation States

Every string in an .xcstrings file has a state that tracks its translation status.

The Four States#

State	Meaning	When It Happens
`new`	No translation yet	Xcode extracts a new string, or a new language is added
`translated`	Translation is complete	After translating in XCStrings Translator or Xcode
`needs_review`	Should be reviewed	AI translation that needs verification, or manually flagged
`stale`	Source text changed	The English text was updated after translation

State Transitions#

new → translated      (after translation)
translated → stale    (source text changed)
stale → translated    (re-translated)
translated → needs_review  (marked for review)
needs_review → translated  (review complete)

Stale translations are still used at runtime. They should be re-translated to match the new source text.

Filtering by State#

XCStrings Translator lets you filter by state:

New — Strings needing translation
Needs Review — Strings flagged for attention
Stale — Strings that may need updating

Use filters to focus on what needs work.