Why does Safari support language translation for Russian and not Ukrainian?

Why does Safari support language translation for Russian and NOT Ukrainian?


I don't want this to be a political issue as it should be addressed as a reflection of the times.

It is beyond frustrating given this moment in history to see the Ukrainian language not supported by Apple.

The Ukrainian language is not just some dialect of Russian. It is its own language which under much of Russian Emprial and Soviet Rule was outlawed and suppressed. Simply because their are still many Ukrainians who know Russian does not mean it is their language of choice. Today communication is key.

It feels odd that Apple who is generally ahead of the technological curve is now so behind the cultural / social one.

I am part Ukrainian and it is not my first language. But I am sure there are full blooded Ukrainians who use Apple products who find this feature annoying. I would rather be able to use your software than that of another to translate my communicate needs for my fundraising and support efforts.


This lack of language support feels rather lopsided when most of the world is supporting Ukraine and understand that Ukraine is not Russia even thought they may know the same language because of the past.

Time to be on the right side of history and be the conduit of knownledge for all.




iMac (2017 – 2020)

Posted on Jun 29, 2023 12:04 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jun 29, 2023 12:39 PM

Hello kelesney,


I want to start by addressing that the languages Apple's translation feature supports is not a political statement and also not one of choosing one side versus the other. In fact, Apple has been scaling back it's operations in Russia and has supported Ukraine and providing aid to the country.


Translation is a very hard aspect to master in any application. It's not as easy as translating English to Ukrainian. But also, French to Ukrainian, Japanese to Ukrainian, and so much more and vice versa. When Apple does something, they want to do it best/right and they don't want any errors to be there.


Many languages are not supported yet within Translation and I can assure you (even being outside the company), Apple is definitely working on it to make their products more inclusive for everyone and being able to connect everyone through technology.


You can always leave feedback for Translation to support Ukrainian - Product Feedback - Apple. Apple promises to read all submissions carefully.


1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jun 29, 2023 12:39 PM in response to kelesney

Hello kelesney,


I want to start by addressing that the languages Apple's translation feature supports is not a political statement and also not one of choosing one side versus the other. In fact, Apple has been scaling back it's operations in Russia and has supported Ukraine and providing aid to the country.


Translation is a very hard aspect to master in any application. It's not as easy as translating English to Ukrainian. But also, French to Ukrainian, Japanese to Ukrainian, and so much more and vice versa. When Apple does something, they want to do it best/right and they don't want any errors to be there.


Many languages are not supported yet within Translation and I can assure you (even being outside the company), Apple is definitely working on it to make their products more inclusive for everyone and being able to connect everyone through technology.


You can always leave feedback for Translation to support Ukrainian - Product Feedback - Apple. Apple promises to read all submissions carefully.


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Why does Safari support language translation for Russian and not Ukrainian?

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