Add your STRINGS file
Drop one or more .strings files onto the converter above, or browse for them. They load into browser memory only — nothing is uploaded, so there is no size-based pricing and no server queue.
STRINGS to QTS
Converting a .strings font to .qts repackages the same glyphs and metrics for a different delivery target. Free, private, and validated — the file never leaves your browser.
Private for supported formats — processed in your browser
Runs on your deviceConvert supported files
Drop STRINGS files here
Batch files can each use a different output. Nothing uploads for local conversions.
Working inputs include camera RAW, browser-local audio/video, PDF, CBZ/CBR comics, office documents, ebooks, markup, 3D models, structured text, images, and archives.About converting Apple strings localization to Qt Linguist TS
Converting a .strings font to .qts repackages the same glyphs and metrics for a different delivery target. A .strings file is Apple's localization resource: a flat list of "key" = "value"; statements, one per translatable string, usually named Localizable.strings and stored inside a per-language .lproj directory. It is what NSLocalizedString and its SwiftUI equivalents look up at runtime.
A Qt Linguist translation source — catalogued here as .qts — is the XML file a Qt application is translated in: a <TS> document holding <context> groups, each containing <message> elements that pair a <source> string with its <translation>. Qt names these files .ts, which collides with TypeScript, so Novus Convert recognises them by the .qt.ts suffix and files them under .qts to keep the two apart. For this route the practical draw is context grouping gives translators genuine information about where a string appears and review state and obsolete strings are typed attributes, not conventions — balanced against the .ts extension collides with TypeScript, which breaks naive tooling constantly, which is worth knowing before you commit a large batch.
Why convert STRINGS to QTS?
The practical trigger for this conversion is usually a mismatch: with .strings, no plural support at all — that requires a second file in a different format. Switching to .qts buys you context grouping gives translators genuine information about where a string appears, which is why it is the better fit for translating a Qt or KDE desktop application. Because the conversion runs locally, trying it costs nothing but a few seconds of compute on your own machine.
STRINGS vs QTS at a glance
| Aspect | Apple strings localization (.strings) | Qt Linguist TS (.qts) |
|---|---|---|
| Format type | Text-based — characters and structure, so there is no visual quality loss | Text-based — characters and structure, so there is no visual quality loss |
| How it stores data | each entry is `"key" = "value";` — the trailing semicolon is required, and both sides use C-style escapes | the root <TS> element carries a version and the target language; <context> groups messages under a <name>, conventionally the class that contains them |
| Strongest at | localising an existing iOS, iPadOS or macOS application | translating a Qt or KDE desktop application |
| Weak spot | no plural support at all — that requires a second file in a different format | the .ts extension collides with TypeScript, which breaks naive tooling constantly |
| Metadata | keys and translated values are preserved. Comments are not treated as structured notes, and plural rules cannot be represented — a catalog with plurals converted into .strings will lose the plural forms because the format has no way to hold them | source strings and translations are preserved, keyed on the source text. Context grouping, source locations, the unfinished/vanished state attribute and numerus plural forms are not represented in flat catalog targets |
Pick QTS as the output
Select .qts in the output menu next to each file. The menu only offers targets this engine can genuinely produce, so if QTS is selectable, the route is real and validated.
Convert on your device
Press Convert. The font tables are parsed and rewritten locally with fonteditor-core; glyph outlines, hinting, and kerning survive the trip.
Verify and download
Each result is signature-checked before the download unlocks, so a failed encode can never masquerade as a valid QTS file. Outputs keep the original filename with the .qts extension.
STRINGS to QTS questions, answered
Will converting STRINGS to QTS lose quality?
There is no visual quality to lose — strings is text-oriented and qts is text-oriented, so the question is structural fidelity. Text, ordering, and basic structure are preserved; complex layout, embedded objects, and styling beyond the target's model are simplified.
Is it private to convert STRINGS files here?
Yes — the .strings file is processed inside your browser tab and never uploaded. The font tables are parsed and rewritten locally with fonteditor-core; glyph outlines, hinting, and kerning survive the trip. Close the tab and the file is gone from memory.
Where will the QTS file work?
Qt Linguist, Qt Creator and KDE's Lokalize read .ts natively, and the larger translation platforms support it. Elsewhere it is rarely recognised — and the extension collision means generic tools frequently mistake it for TypeScript. Novus Convert keys entries on the source text, rejects documents with a doctype or custom entities, and converts to and from the other localization formats.
Will the QTS file be bigger or smaller than my STRINGS?
It depends on the content: the root <TS> element carries a version and the target language; <context> groups messages under a <name>, conventionally the class that contains them. Convert one representative file first and compare before batch-processing a large set.
What happens to the metadata in my STRINGS file?
In .strings, keys and translated values are preserved. Comments are not treated as structured notes, and plural rules cannot be represented — a catalog with plurals converted into .strings will lose the plural forms because the format has no way to hold them. Re-encoding through the browser pipeline does not carry embedded metadata into the output, which doubles as a privacy scrub — check the exported file if you specifically need tags preserved.
Can I convert QTS back to STRINGS?
Yes — the reverse route exists as a separate tool. Bear in mind that round-tripping .strings → .qts → .strings is not a perfect undo when any lossy step is involved; keep your original if fidelity matters.