Language Settings

Language Settings

Opengates is built for a global community of freelancers and clients. Whether you're in Kinshasa, Nairobi, Paris, or Dubai, you should be able to use the platform in a language you're comfortable with. That's why Opengates supports multiple languages and is designed to make switching between them easy and seamless.

This guide covers everything about language settings on Opengates: which languages are supported, how to change your language, what gets translated, how right-to-left (RTL) languages like Arabic are handled, and how language preferences work across web and mobile.

Supported Languages

Opengates currently supports the following languages:

English

• Language code: en
• Direction: Left-to-right (LTR)
• Status: Default language
• Coverage: Full — all platform UI, notifications, system messages, help articles, and error messages are available in English.

English is the default language for all new accounts. If you haven't changed your language setting, your account is displayed in English.

French (Français)

• Language code: fr
• Direction: Left-to-right (LTR)
• Status: Fully supported
• Coverage: Full — all platform UI, notifications, and system messages are translated into French.

French is widely spoken across West and Central Africa, as well as in parts of Europe and Canada. Opengates provides complete French translations to serve our growing francophone community of freelancers and clients.

Swahili (Kiswahili)

• Language code: sw
• Direction: Left-to-right (LTR)
• Status: Fully supported
• Coverage: Full — all platform UI, notifications, and system messages are translated into Swahili.

Swahili is one of the most widely spoken languages in East Africa, with over 100 million speakers across Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, the DRC, and beyond. Supporting Swahili is part of Opengates' commitment to making freelancing accessible across the African continent.

Arabic (العربية)

• Language code: ar
• Direction: Right-to-left (RTL)
• Status: Fully supported
• Coverage: Full — all platform UI, notifications, and system messages are translated into Arabic, with full RTL layout support.

Arabic is spoken by over 400 million people across the Middle East and North Africa. Opengates provides complete Arabic translations along with a fully adapted right-to-left layout for a natural reading and navigation experience.

How to Change Your Language

On the Web

1. Log in to your Opengates account at opengates.app.
2. Click your profile photo in the top-right corner.
3. Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
4. Navigate to General or Language & Region.
5. Find the Language dropdown or selector.
6. Choose your preferred language from the list: English, Français (French), Kiswahili (Swahili), or العربية (Arabic).
7. Click Save or Apply.
8. The page will reload and all platform interface elements will now be displayed in your selected language.

On Mobile (iOS & Android)

1. Open the Opengates app on your device.
2. Tap the profile icon → Settings.
3. Tap Language or Language & Region.
4. Select your preferred language from the list.
5. The app will restart or refresh, and the interface will switch to your selected language.

Changing Language Before Logging In

If you need to change the language before logging in (for example, if the login page is in a language you don't understand):

1. Look for a language selector or globe icon on the login page, usually in the footer or top-right corner.
2. Click or tap it to see the list of available languages.
3. Select your preferred language.
4. The login page and all subsequent pages will display in the selected language.

What Gets Translated

Understanding what changes when you switch languages is important for setting realistic expectations.

Fully Translated (Platform UI)

When you change your language, the following elements are translated into your selected language:

• Navigation menus: Sidebar, top bar, bottom navigation, and all menu items.
• Buttons and labels: All action buttons (Save, Cancel, Submit, etc.), form labels, and input placeholders.
• System messages: Success messages, error messages, warnings, and informational alerts.
• Notifications: Both in-app notifications and email notifications from the platform.
• Settings pages: All settings categories, options, and descriptions.
• Help tooltips: Contextual help text and tooltips throughout the platform.
• Empty states: Messages shown when there's no content (e.g., "No messages yet").
• Date and time formats: Dates and times are formatted according to regional conventions (e.g., DD/MM/YYYY for French, MM/DD/YYYY for English US).
• Currency formatting: Number and currency formats may adjust based on language conventions.

Not Translated (User-Generated Content)

The following content remains in the language it was originally written in, regardless of your language setting:

• Messages from other users: Chat messages, project discussions, and direct messages.
• Project descriptions and proposals: Content written by clients and freelancers.
• Reviews and ratings: Feedback left by other users.
• Portfolio items: Descriptions and titles of portfolio pieces.
• User bios and profiles: Profile descriptions written by individual users.
• File names: Names of uploaded files and attachments.
• Custom terms in contracts: Any custom text in project agreements.

This is because Opengates respects the original language of user-generated content. Automatic translation of messages and project details could lead to misunderstandings, especially in a professional context.

Partially Translated

• Help Center articles: Core help articles are available in all supported languages. Some specialized or recently published articles may only be available in English initially, with translations added over time.
• Email templates: Transactional emails (password reset, payment confirmation) are sent in your selected language. Marketing emails may be available in English only.

Right-to-Left (RTL) Support for Arabic

Arabic is a right-to-left (RTL) language, which means text flows from right to left, and the entire page layout is mirrored compared to left-to-right (LTR) languages like English and French.

What Changes in RTL Mode

When you switch to Arabic, the following layout adjustments are automatically applied:

• Text alignment: All text is right-aligned by default.
• Navigation: Sidebars move to the right side, and navigation flows from right to left.
• Buttons and icons: Action buttons and directional icons (like arrows) are mirrored.
• Forms: Form fields, labels, and input alignment are mirrored.
• Lists and tables: Content flows from right to left.
• Scrollbars: Positioned on the left side of the page.
• Progress bars and sliders: Direction is reversed to flow right-to-left.
• Breadcrumbs: Navigation breadcrumbs flow from right to left.

What Doesn't Change in RTL Mode

Some elements remain the same regardless of text direction:

• Numbers: Numbers are displayed in standard Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3...) and maintain their left-to-right order within text.
• Phone numbers and email addresses: These maintain their standard formatting.
• Embedded media: Images, videos, and embedded content are not mirrored.
• Code snippets: Any technical content or code is displayed left-to-right.
• Brand elements: The Opengates logo and brand graphics are not mirrored.

Mixed-Direction Content (BiDi)

In real-world usage, you'll often encounter mixed-direction content — for example, Arabic text containing an English name, a URL, or a number. Opengates handles this using the Unicode Bidirectional Algorithm (BiDi), which automatically determines the correct display direction for each segment of text. This means:

• English words within Arabic text will display left-to-right.
• Arabic words within English text will display right-to-left.
• Numbers, URLs, and email addresses are displayed correctly regardless of the surrounding text direction.

Language and Localization Technical Details

Opengates uses i18next, a widely used internationalization framework, to manage translations. Here's what this means for your experience:

Translation Quality

• All translations are professionally reviewed to ensure accuracy, cultural appropriateness, and natural phrasing.
• Technical terms and industry-specific language are translated consistently across the platform.
• Translations are regularly updated as new features are added to the platform.

Pluralization and Grammar

Different languages handle plurals, gendered nouns, and grammatical structures differently. Opengates' internationalization system accounts for these differences:

• English: Simple singular/plural rules (1 project, 2 projects).
• French: Similar to English but with gendered articles (le projet, la tâche).
• Swahili: Noun class-based grammar with appropriate prefixes.
• Arabic: Complex plural rules (singular, dual, plural with different forms) are fully supported.

Fallback Language

If a specific translation is missing for your selected language (which is rare), the system falls back to English to ensure you always see meaningful content rather than a blank space or a translation key.

Language Preferences Across Devices

Syncing Your Language Setting

Your language preference is stored in your Opengates account settings, not on your device. This means:

• When you change your language on the web, the change is automatically reflected when you log in on mobile, and vice versa.
• You don't need to change the language separately on each device.
• If you log out and log back in, your language preference is preserved.

Device Language vs. Opengates Language

Your Opengates language setting is independent of your device's system language. For example:

• Your phone can be set to English while Opengates is set to French.
• Your computer can be set to Arabic while Opengates is set to Swahili.

This gives you full flexibility to use Opengates in whichever language you prefer, regardless of your device settings.

First-Time Language Detection

When you first create an Opengates account, the platform may detect your browser or device language and suggest a matching language. You can accept the suggestion or choose a different language. This is a one-time suggestion — after that, your choice is saved in your settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my language translate my existing messages?

No. Changing your language only affects the platform interface (menus, buttons, notifications). Messages, project descriptions, and other user-generated content remain in the language they were written in.

Can I use Opengates in a language that's not listed?

Currently, Opengates supports English, French, Swahili, and Arabic. We're actively working on adding more languages based on user demand. If you'd like to see a specific language added, let us know through the feedback section in the app or by contacting support.

Does changing the language affect my projects or contracts?

No. Your projects, contracts, payment history, and all other data remain exactly the same. Only the platform's user interface language changes.

I changed my language but some parts are still in English. Why?

This can happen if certain translations are still being finalized or if you're viewing user-generated content (which stays in its original language). Clear your browser cache or restart the app to ensure the latest translations are loaded.

Can two people using different languages work on the same project?

Absolutely. Language settings are personal — each user sees the platform in their preferred language. A client using French and a freelancer using Swahili will each see the Opengates interface in their own language, while messages between them remain in whatever language they choose to communicate in.

Does Arabic mode affect how my profile appears to others?

No. When another user views your profile, they see it in their own language setting with the layout matching their preference. Your choice of Arabic (RTL) mode only affects your own view of the platform.

Still need help? Contact our support team and we'll be happy to assist you.