Add your XML file
Drop one or more .xml 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.
XML to STRINGS
Restructuring .xml data as .strings changes the serialization without touching the values themselves. 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 XML 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 XML data to Apple strings localization
Restructuring .xml data as .strings changes the serialization without touching the values themselves. An .xml file contains Extensible Markup Language: angle-bracketed tags you define yourself, arranged in a strictly nested tree. It is a meta-format — RSS feeds, SVG images, and Office documents are all XML underneath.
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. For this route the practical draw is trivially simple grammar that any tool can read or write and native to Apple's toolchain with no build step beyond copying — balanced against no plural support at all — that requires a second file in a different format, which is worth knowing before you commit a large batch.
Why convert XML to STRINGS?
The practical trigger for this conversion is usually a mismatch: with .xml, verbose — every element name is written twice. Switching to .strings buys you trivially simple grammar that any tool can read or write, which is why it is the better fit for localising an existing iOS, iPadOS or macOS application. Because the conversion runs locally, trying it costs nothing but a few seconds of compute on your own machine.
XML vs STRINGS at a glance
| Aspect | XML data (.xml) | Apple strings localization (.strings) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | well-formedness is binary: one mismatched tag makes the document invalid, and conforming parsers must reject it | each entry is `"key" = "value";` — the trailing semicolon is required, and both sides use C-style escapes |
| Strongest at | build and platform configuration (Maven POMs, Android manifests) | localising an existing iOS, iPadOS or macOS application |
| Weak spot | verbose — every element name is written twice | no plural support at all — that requires a second file in a different format |
Pick STRINGS as the output
Select .strings in the output menu next to each file. The menu only offers targets this engine can genuinely produce, so if STRINGS is selectable, the route is real and validated.
Convert on your device
Press Convert. The restructuring is plain local parsing — your data is never posted to a server for processing.
Verify and download
Each result is signature-checked before the download unlocks, so a failed encode can never masquerade as a valid STRINGS file. Outputs keep the original filename with the .strings extension.
XML to STRINGS questions, answered
Will converting XML to STRINGS lose quality?
There is no visual quality to lose — xml is text-oriented and strings 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 XML files here?
Yes — the .xml file is processed inside your browser tab and never uploaded. The restructuring is plain local parsing — your data is never posted to a server for processing. Close the tab and the file is gone from memory.
Where will the STRINGS file work?
Xcode reads and writes .strings natively, and every translation platform supports it because iOS work demands it. Outside Apple's ecosystem support is incidental. Novus Convert parses the quoted key/value grammar locally, tolerating the comment form, and converts to and from the other localization formats.
Will the STRINGS file be bigger or smaller than my XML?
It depends on the content: each entry is `"key" = "value";` — the trailing semicolon is required, and both sides use C-style escapes. Convert one representative file first and compare before batch-processing a large set.