Your app shipped with a Simplified Chinese listing as the main storefront. Now you want US visitors to see English title, description, and screenshots — not a machine-translated afterthought. Connect separates primary language from added localizations, and indie teams often confuse the two. This guide covers when to keep zh-Hans primary and add en-US, when a primary-locale switch makes sense, and which fields change per localization. Operator guidance only: no ranking guarantee and not investment advice.
When you create an app record, Connect asks for a primary language — the locale you set up first. You then add localizations: separate rows for en-US, zh-Hans, and others, each with its own product-page fields. Storefront availability (which countries can download) is separate from language. A zh-Hans-primary app can still sell in the United States; US buyers see the en-US localization if you filled it — or a mixed page if English is missing. UI labels in Connect change; read Apple’s current docs before you click Save.
Most CN-first indie teams should add en-US as a localization rather than reordering the app record. Keep zh-Hans primary when your core users and support stay in China, domestic partnerships reference the Chinese listing, you are testing US demand before an English-first pivot, or in-app default language is still Chinese. Adding a localization is additive: you fill English fields alongside existing Chinese copy without deleting the zh-Hans row. Metadata changes still go through review, but you are not redefining which locale Apple treats as the app’s home in every admin view.
Changing primary language to en-US is a structural move, not a copy edit. Consider it only when the US is your main revenue market, your brand and website are English-first, a partner requires English as the canonical listing, or you are relaunching with Chinese as secondary. Primary-locale switches can affect Connect defaults and which locale new teammates see first. They do not translate your app, fix 4.3(b) questions, or guarantee US search visibility. If users are still China-centric, switching primary locale mostly creates admin confusion — add en-US instead.
Each localization row holds storefront copy for that locale. These fields are typically per localization (verify limits in Connect):
Title, subtitle, keywords, and description — all editable per locale. en-US should name what US users type; zh-Hans can stay idiomatic without matching character for character. Keywords are hidden and locale-specific; do not paste the same comma list into both rows. US readers skim description openings; Chinese copy can keep parallel meaning without mirroring English sentence order.
Promotional text and What’s New — short news and release notes per locale. US users expect English notes even if your change log was drafted in Chinese.
Screenshots and app preview videos — usually managed per localization and device size. CN-first apps often lose US buyers here: Chinese UI captures with English overlays, or en-US pages still showing zh-Hans galleries. Upload a full en-US screenshot set; do not assume one gallery covers every locale.
Generally not per localization: bundle ID, pricing tiers, privacy nutrition labels, and most IAP product IDs — though IAP display names can be localized separately.
Confirm primary language and storefront availability, then add English (U.S.) if missing. Fill en-US title, subtitle, keywords, and description before uploading US screenshots — frame one should match the English title’s promise. Keep zh-Hans aligned on meaning, not literal translation. When in doubt, add English as a localization and leave zh-Hans primary until the US market clearly leads your roadmap.
Related: listing rewrite field guide · ASO: title, subtitle, keywords · screenshot overlays & promo text
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