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Anurag Kanojiya
Anurag Kanojiya

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How to Dynamically Change App Language in Jetpack Compose (Modern Android Guide) 🚀🌏

#android #kotlin #jetpackcompose #mobile

Many apps today let users choose their preferred language directly inside the app — not just rely on the device language.

For example:

  • Someone learning a language may want the app in Spanish 🇪🇸
  • Or you might simply want to test translations during development

Good news: modern Android provides a clean official way to change app language dynamically using AppCompat 1.6+.

Let's implement it step by step. 👇

🚀 Step 1 — Add AppCompat

First, you need the AppCompat library because the locale API lives there.

Add this dependency:

implementation("androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.6.1")
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If you're using Version Catalogs it may look like:

implementation(libs.androidx.appcompat)
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🧩 Step 2 — Use AppCompatActivity

To enable the locale API, your MainActivity must extend AppCompatActivity.

Replace this:

class MainActivity : ComponentActivity()
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with this:

class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {

    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
    }

}
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That's it — now your app can use AppCompat locale management.

🌐 Step 3 — Add Language Resources

Now we define localized strings.

Inside the res folder, create resource directories using language qualifiers like:

values/strings.xml
values-hi/strings.xml
values-bn/strings.xml
values-ta/strings.xml
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Example:

English

<string name="hello">Hello</string>
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Hindi

<string name="hello">hola</string>
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Android automatically loads the correct translation depending on the selected locale.

Language qualifiers example

🧠 Step 4 — Create a Language Manager

Instead of repeating locale logic everywhere, we create a small LanguageManager helper.

object LanguageManager {

    fun setLanguage(code: String) {
        val locale = LocaleListCompat.forLanguageTags(code)
        AppCompatDelegate.setApplicationLocales(locale)
    }

    fun resetToSystem() {
        AppCompatDelegate.setApplicationLocales(
            LocaleListCompat.getEmptyLocaleList()
        )
    }
}
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What this does

setApplicationLocales() tells Android:

"Hey, switch the entire app to this locale."

Android then refreshes the UI automatically.

Super clean ✨

📦 Step 5 — Create a Language Model

Next, let's define a simple data model.

data class AppLanguage(
    val code: String,
    val label: String
)
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Now define the languages supported by your app:

val languages = listOf(
    AppLanguage("en", "English"),
    AppLanguage("hi", "Hindi"),
    AppLanguage("as", "Assamese"),
    AppLanguage("bn", "Bengali"),
    AppLanguage("gu", "Gujarati"),
    AppLanguage("kn", "Kannada"),
    AppLanguage("ml", "Malayalam"),
    AppLanguage("mr", "Marathi"),
    AppLanguage("or", "Odia"),
    AppLanguage("pa", "Punjabi"),
    AppLanguage("ta", "Tamil"),
    AppLanguage("te", "Telugu"),
    AppLanguage("ur", "Urdu")
)
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These language codes match the resource folder qualifiers (values-hi, values-es, etc.).

🎯 Step 6 — Change Language from UI

Now the fun part.

You can change the language from onboarding, settings, or anywhere in your app.

Example:

LanguageManager.setLanguage("hi")
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Or if you're showing a list of languages:

languages.forEach { language ->
    LanguageManager.setLanguage(language.code)
}
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Example button:

Button(
    onClick = {
        LanguageManager.setLanguage("hi")
    }
) {
    Text("Switch to Hindi")
}
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Once triggered, Android will:

1️⃣ Change the locale
2️⃣ Reload resources
3️⃣ Update UI automatically

No manual activity restart required 🎉

🔄 Reset Language to System Default

If the user wants the app to follow the device language, just call:

LanguageManager.resetToSystem()
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Android will switch back to the system locale.

⚡ Why This Approach Is Great

Using AppCompatDelegate.setApplicationLocales() gives you:

✅ Official AndroidX solution
✅ Works with Jetpack Compose + Views
✅ No deprecated locale hacks
✅ Automatic UI refresh
✅ Clean and maintainable code

🎉 Final Result

Your app now supports:

🌍 Dynamic language switching
⚡ Instant UI updates
📱 System language fallback
🧩 Clean architecture

All with just a few lines of code.

💡 Pro Tip

If you want the language to persist across app restarts, store the selected language in:

  • DataStore

Then apply it when the app launches.

That's it!

Your Android app is now ready for global users 🌎

🧑‍💻 Author

Anurag Kanojiya — Android app Developer | Kotlin | KMP | Java | Spring Boot

• Twitter • LinkedIn • GitHub

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