Language Selection on the Mobile App

With the Multi-Language feature, you can create a single form and provide it to your field users in multiple languages.

Language selection works differently based on whether:

• A user or App‑to‑App call opens the form.

• The form opens from the Inbox, Drafts, Sent, or Search lists.

This topic describes how these factors affect whether users can select a language on the Mobile App.

Note:Once a language is initially selected by a field user, dispatch, or App‑to‑App call, users can’t switch to a different language.

Available as an add-on to the Advanced and Enterprise tiers:

Contents

• Language Selection on the Mobile App
• Language selection when a user opens a form
• Preferred form language setting
• Factors that affect language selection
• Language selection with App‑to‑App calls
• The _lang parameter
• When the _lang parameter applies
• When the _lang parameter does not apply

Language selection when a user opens a form

Preferred form language setting

A Multi-Language Form A Multi-Language Form is a form that’s set up with different translations so that field users can choose their preferred language. Translated content includes page and section names, question text, help text, and other form content. prompts field users to select a language when they first open a form.

They can also choose to set a preferred language. This option automatically opens new forms in the selected language if the form is set up for that language.

Tip:As with all app settings, the preferred language only applies to this user on this particular device.

To choose a preferred language:

1. Open a Multi-Language Form.

2. Select a language from the list.

3. Select the option to Make this my preferred language, and then complete and submit the form.

   Result: You can find the preferred form language in the advanced settings.

   iOS and macOS

   

   Android

   

   Windows

   

4. To switch off this setting:

   • iOS and macOS—Go to Settings > Advanced Settings > Preferred Form Language > Ask me on form open

   • Android—Go to Settings > Advanced settings > Other settings > clear the Use preferred form language checkbox

   • Windows—Go to Settings > Advanced settings > Other settings > Use preferred form language > Off

   Result: The previously selected language is saved in case you want to use it again. To select a different preferred language, repeat steps 1 through 3.

Factors that affect language selection

The following table describes how language selection works when a field user opens a form.

Tip:Users can set a preferred language when they open a form. New forms automatically open in the preferred language if it’s set up for the form.

Form location	Other conditions	User can select a language?	Reason
Forms	—	Yes	Users can select a language the first time the form opens.
Inbox	Dispatched without a preselected language	Yes	Users can select a language the first time the form opens.
	Dispatched with a preselected language, or Sent for editing, or Transferred, or Already opened and saved	No	The form opens in the dispatched or previously selected language. Tip:If you dispatch a form with a preselected language, choose one that all users who interact with that form can understand.
	Dispatched from a Dispatch Data Destination that has the Target Form Language set to User selects...	Yes	Users can select a language the first time the form opens.
	Dispatched from a Dispatch Data Destination that has the Target Form Language set to Same as source...	No	The dispatched form opens in the same language as the submitted form that triggered the dispatch. Note:If the target form doesn’t have the language set up, the Mobile App prompts the user to select a language when the form opens.
Search Sent	—	No	The form was already opened and sent.
Drafts	—	No	The form was already opened and saved.

Language selection with App‑to‑App calls

The _lang parameter

For a Multi-Language Form, you can include the _lang parameter with the open and send actions to preselect a language.

Note:The _lang parameter value must be a language code for one of the Supported Languages for the Multi-Language Feature.

The following example shows an App‑to‑App call that includes a preselected language:

prontoforms://x-callback-url/open?name=asset%20list&_lang=fr

Info:The topic App‑to‑App Action Details: _lang provides more information about how to set up an App‑to‑App call for a Multi-Language Form.

When the _lang parameter applies

The _lang parameter applies when:

• The form has a translation file for the specified language.

• Prior to the App‑to‑App call, the form was never:

  • Opened

  • Saved

  • Dispatched with a preselected language

  • Sent for edit, or

  • Transferred

Tip:If more than one form matches the specified criteria, the user selects from a list of forms. The list only includes forms that have translations for the language specified by the _lang parameter.

When the _lang parameter does not apply

The _lang parameter does not apply when:

• The matching form doesn’t have a translation file for the specified language. In this case, the Mobile App displays an error.

• Prior to the App‑to‑App call, the form was:

  • Opened

  • Saved

  • Dispatched with a preselected language

  • Sent for edit, or

  • Transferred

Info:The topic App‑to‑App Action Details: _lang provides more detail about when the _lang parameter does not apply and what happens in those cases.