Different languages in one family: how app language settings work
By Erik Nilsen · Kroni6 min read
Yes. Adults and children in the same family can use the app in different languages. Each adult picks their own language, and a child's language is set on the device the child uses. But the language setting only changes the app's built-in text: buttons, menus and standard messages. Task names, descriptions and steps you write yourselves are not translated. You need to write those in the language you want your child to read.
Below you'll find a map of which setting controls what, a fictional family setup and a blank worksheet you can fill in this week.
Four things that often get mixed up
When a family uses more than one language, it's easy to assume one setting controls everything. In practice there are four separate layers.
| Layer | What it controls | Where it's set | What it doesn't change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult A's language | The app and emails for adult A | On adult A's account | What adult B or the child sees |
| Adult B's language | The app and emails for adult B | On adult B's account | What adult A or the child sees |
| Child's language | The app's text in the child's session | Locally on the device the child uses | Other devices in the family |
| Your family's own words | Task names, descriptions, steps and rewards | Wherever you write them | Not translated when someone switches language |
Also note that the currency does not follow the language. The balance stays in the currency your family set up, even if one adult uses the app in Swedish or Danish.
Adult language: the app and emails follow along
The app is currently available in English, Norwegian (Bokmål), Swedish and Danish. When an adult picks a language, it applies to that adult's own view of the app and to emails sent to that adult.
So two parents can each use a different language without affecting each other. One can approve chores in English while the other sees the same tasks with Swedish menus. The task text is still the same for both, because you wrote it.
A practical tip: agree on who writes the tasks, and in which language. Otherwise you can easily end up with a list that's half in one language and half in another, without anyone actually deciding that.
The child's language: set on the device
A child's language is stored locally on the device where the child uses the app. That's handy, because many families let a child use a shared tablet or one of the parents' phones. Your child doesn't need their own email address to take part.
This has two consequences:
- If your child uses more than one device, the language may need to be set on each one.
- If a sibling uses the same device, it's worth checking the language when you switch who is signed in to the child session.
The child's language does not sync automatically to every device in the family. There's no single family switch that changes everyone's view at once.
What isn't translated: the tasks you write
This is the most common misunderstanding. When an adult types "Clean your room" as a task name, it says "Clean your room" for everyone, whatever language the app is shown in. The app doesn't translate text your family wrote.
That includes:
- chore names
- descriptions and steps inside a task
- savings goal names
- rewards you've agreed on
If your child reads best in English, write the tasks in English. If you want both languages visible, you'll need to write both yourselves.
Example: a fictional family with three language choices
This is an illustrative example to show how the layers can be split.
Sara speaks Swedish, Daniel speaks English, and Ella (9) goes to an English-speaking school but is practicing Swedish at home. Ella uses the family's shared tablet.
| Person | App language | Where | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sara (adult) | Swedish | Her own phone | In Swedish |
| Daniel (adult) | English | His own phone | In English |
| Ella (child) | English | Family tablet, stored locally | No email of her own |
The family decides the tasks will be written in English, because Ella is the one reading them. Sara writes them, even though she uses the app in Swedish herself:
- Feed the cat
- Pack your school bag
- Empty the dishwasher
Sara sees Swedish menus around these English task names. That's fine, and it's how it's meant to work.
One task written in two languages
Some families want their child to see both languages, for example because the child is practicing reading in the second one. You can write the task yourselves in both languages. Keep it short, or it gets heavy to read on a small screen.
Task name: Set the table / Duka bordet
Description: Plate, glass and cutlery for everyone. / Tallrik, glas och bestick till alla.
Steps:
- Wipe the table / Torka av bordet
- Put out the plates / Ställ fram tallrikarna
- Put cutlery at each place / Lägg bestick vid varje plats
An adult wrote this line by line. If an adult later switches the app language, the text stays exactly the same.
If you want to use tasks on purpose as language practice, we have more ideas in Bilingual family routines: how to practice both languages at home. And if you're wondering which tasks might suit your child, What should kids be able to do at home? A complete list by age can be a starting point. Every child is different, so adjust the tasks to what you see your child can handle.
How it works in Kroni
In Kroni, each adult sets their own language, which applies to their app view and their emails. The child's language is chosen in the child session and stored on that device. Tasks, descriptions and rewards appear exactly as you wrote them. Your child marks a task as done, and an adult approves it if you've turned approval on. The balance is virtual. If you've agreed on real allowance, you pay it yourselves outside the app, in cash or by bank transfer or a mobile payment app.
Worksheet: family language setup (copy and fill in)
Use this before you add your first tasks. It takes a few minutes and saves you from a mixed-up task list.
Language per person
| Person | App language | Device | Checked (yes/no) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult 1: ________ | ________ | ________ | ___ |
| Adult 2: ________ | ________ | ________ | ___ |
| Child: ________ | ________ | ________ | ___ |
| Child: ________ | ________ | ________ | ___ |
Task language
- Tasks will be written in: ________
- Do we want two languages in the same task? yes / no
- Who writes and corrects the tasks: ________
First three tasks, written in the child's language
Checklist after setup
- Each adult has chosen their own language
- The language is set on every device the child uses
- Tasks are written in the language the child will read
- The currency is the one you actually use
The worksheet is a tool for the family conversation. Anything you write on paper has to be entered into the app by hand.
Frequently asked questions
- Are tasks translated if my child uses the app in another language?
- No. The language setting only changes the app's own text, like menus and buttons. Task names, descriptions, steps and rewards you wrote yourselves appear exactly as written. If you want two languages, you need to write both.
- Does the language change for the whole family when one adult switches?
- No. Each adult has their own language, which applies to their app view and their emails. A child's language is stored locally on the device they use, so it may need to be set on each device.
- Which languages can we choose, and does the currency change with the language?
- The app is available in English, Norwegian (Bokmål), Swedish and Danish. The currency doesn't follow the language, so the balance stays in the currency your family set up, even if someone uses the app in Swedish.
