Feature request: add Simplified Chinese localization for Buzz Desktop #7662

Summary

Buzz Desktop currently presents an English-only user interface. Please consider adding Simplified Chinese (zh-CN) localization.

Findings from the current main

Reviewed against the current main branch (commit a9dd4d3, 2026-09-15).

• The desktop client is a Tauri + React/TypeScript application.
• I could not find an existing locale catalog, language selector, or i18n layer under desktop/; most user-facing copy is embedded in feature components.
• desktop/src/shared/lib/datetime.ts uses fixed en-US formatters, so date and time labels would also need locale-aware formatting.
• macOS native menu labels are defined separately in Rust at desktop/src-tauri/src/app_menu.rs.
• Huddle speech and transcription language is a separate concern: the current implementation is English-only, so UI localization alone would not solve voice-language support.

Proposed scope

• Add a translation abstraction with an English fallback and a zh-CN catalog.
• Add a language selector in Settings, with a sensible system-language default if maintainers prefer.
• Translate the core paths first: onboarding, channels, DMs, threads, composer, settings, dialogs, notifications, and error states.
• Localize date/time formatting, native macOS menu labels, accessibility labels, placeholders, and tooltips.
• Keep relay events, user content, agent output, code identifiers, and model names unchanged.
• Test Chinese text layout, CJK font fallback, IME behavior, and keyboard shortcuts.

Why

Chinese users would be able to use the desktop client more comfortably, while a proper i18n layer would make future languages easier to add and maintain.

This is primarily a client/UI localization request. The existing English-only huddle STT/TTS limitation can be tracked separately; see #5194. Chinese IME and shortcut behavior may also deserve attention; see #6549.

Questions

• Would maintainers accept a zh-CN localization contribution?
• Is there a preferred i18n architecture or translation workflow?
• Would a staged contribution covering the core desktop UI first be welcome?

Relevant files

• desktop/package.json
• SettingsPanels.tsx
• datetime.ts
• app_menu.rs