How do I open a .STRINGS file?

Drop a .STRINGS file onto Analyser at https://analyser.valjdakosta.com/ and it is identified directly in your browser - no upload, no account and no software to install. Inspect OS and system files: OPML subscription lists, RSS/Atom feeds, Linux .desktop launchers and systemd .service units, Apple .crash reports, Android .ab backups, Windows Task Scheduler .job, Group Policy Registry.pol, and .scr screensaver PE headers, plus identification of .DS_Store, Thumbs.db, dSYM/DWARF and shim .sdb. macOS leaves its own small files everywhere and these open too: the ._ AppleDouble files a Mac writes onto USB sticks and into zips (Finder label, tags, resource fork, and the quarantine and where-from attributes that record which app downloaded the file and from which address), text clippings, internet, file and server locations, Finder Smart Folder searches, Terminal profiles, iTerm2 colour presets as a palette, Audio Unit presets, and .strings / .stringsdict localisation tables. Any Apple property list opens by its content whatever it is named, with Cocoa NSKeyedArchiver archives rebuilt into a readable tree, and an Apple crash report saved as .ips is read as one. Scene .nfo ASCII art now opens in a CP437 viewer - see Text art above.

Can I open a .STRINGS file online for free?

Yes. Analyser is a free online .STRINGS identifier that runs entirely in your browser - your .STRINGS file never leaves your device, so there is nothing to upload and no software to install. It even works offline once installed.

.STRINGS file - what it is and how to identify it online

Analyse a .STRINGS file

Home › Formats › .STRINGSID

What is a .STRINGS file?

A .strings file holds the translated text of a Mac or iOS app, one language per file. Created by Apple.

Did you know: Older .strings files are UTF-16 text; Xcode now often compiles them to binary property lists.
Analyser handles .STRINGS alongside related formats such as .OPML, .RSS, .ATOM and more.
In Analyser's format library, .STRINGS sits in the System & disk category.
What Analyser reads: Inspect OS and system files: OPML subscription lists, RSS/Atom feeds, Linux .desktop launchers and systemd .service units, Apple .crash reports, Android .ab backups, Windows Task Scheduler .job, Group Policy Registry.pol, and .scr screensaver PE headers, plus identification of .DS_Store, Thumbs.db, dSYM/DWARF and shim .sdb. macOS leaves its own small files everywhere and these open too: the ._ AppleDouble files a Mac writes onto USB sticks and into zips (Finder label, tags, resource fork, and the quarantine and where-from attributes that record which app downloaded the file and from which address), text clippings, internet, file and server locations, Finder Smart Folder searches, Terminal profiles, iTerm2 colour presets as a palette, Audio Unit presets, and .strings / .stringsdict localisation tables. Any Apple property list opens by its content whatever it is named, with Cocoa NSKeyedArchiver archives rebuilt into a readable tree, and an Apple crash report saved as .ips is read as one. Scene .nfo ASCII art now opens in a CP437 viewer - see Text art above.
Depth of analysis: .STRINGS is an identification-grade format: Analyser recognises it from its bytes and decodes the header metadata it carries, rather than opening it in a full viewer. Formats that do get a full viewer are marked "Full" on the formats page.
Open a .STRINGS file: Drag a .STRINGS file onto the Analyser home page (or tap to pick one). It is identified entirely in your browser - nothing is uploaded, there is no account, and it works offline once installed.
Related formats: .OPML · .RSS · .ATOM · .DESKTOP · .SERVICE · .CRASH · .AB · .JOB · .POL · .SCR · .DS_STORE · .THUMBSDB · .DSYM · .DWARF · .SDB · .AGC · .BK · .textClipping and more. See all supported file types.