Instagram is finally rolling out native support for Hebrew, Arabic and Farsi – three popular languages that are all written right-to-left.
They join 36 other languages that Instagram supports natively. And just like all other language options on Instagram, everything besides someone’s username will be translated.
Why did this take so long? Because adding a language like Arabic or Hebrew to software written in English isn’t as easy as adding a language like Spanish. In fact, Instagram had to reconfigure the entire app to support languages that are written from right to left.
This feature will launch on Android now, with iOS still being worked on now. It seems that launching Android support as soon as possible was the priority for Instagram, which makes sense considering over 70% of the Arabic speaking community who have their phone language set to Arabic are using Android.
In a statement, Mike Krieger, Instagram’s co-founder, explained “I’m proud of our efforts to make Instagram one of the most inclusive and diverse platforms in the world. With this update we hope even more Arabic, Hebrew and Farsi speakers are able to use Instagram to connect with the people and interests that matter to them.”
Considering there are over 60 million monthly active Instagram users in the MENA region, this should make a lot of users happy.
To switch to one of these languages on Android right now, make sure your app is updated then go to the settings tab on your profile, tap “languages” and select your preference.
