While RTL language display on the internet has improved significantly, when it comes to work and efficiency, things are less than perfect, to put it mildly. Anyone who needs to be productive in RTL languages may experience difficulty finding suitable digital tools. This is especially true for activities involving extensive writing.
A prominent example of this problematic situation is finding a digital task management solution. For single-line information fields, such as task titles, the problem can be addressed relatively easily through conventions. However, in description fields and discussion fields, which sometimes require long and complex content, the lack of right-to-left (RTL) language support is a significant obstacle, particularly when dealing with collaborative activities involving multiple people.
So how can you stay productive in RTL languages, in a digital space that’s primarily designed for left-to-right?
The Big Players: Your First Choice
Microsoft and Google offer strong RTL support across their productivity suites. This means that when it comes to word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, note-taking and email – everything is well supported. These platforms provide all tools online through a single account.
Modern Productivity Platforms: Requires Additional Setup
Beyond the major platforms, there’s a second tier of powerful productivity tools – task, project and knowledge management – that can work with RTL languages, but require additional configuration, plugins, or workarounds.
Tools like Notion, to mention one, require installing extensions and scripts to work natively right-to-left. Monday.com offers built-in RTL solutions, though they can be cumbersome to use.
While the setup takes effort, these comprehensive platforms can then handle task management, databases, and complex content organization in RTL languages.
Mobile Solutions: Language Settings Matter
Some tools that struggle with RTL on the web may perform better on mobile devices, especially when the system or keyboard language is set to RTL. Web versions, though, may have alignment issues.
Communication Tools: Messaging Apps Lead the Way
Instant messaging applications – WhatsApp, Telegram and others – work excellently from right to left. This is one area where RTL users have no compromises:
Browser Extensions for RTL Enhancement
Several browser extensions can help improve RTL experience:
- Automatic direction correction tools – These correct text direction in web applications
- RTL formatting helpers – Assist with RTL formatting on various websites
- Manual direction controls – Provide manual control over text direction in input fields
The Future of RTL Digital Productivity
As global awareness of RTL language needs grows, more tools are incorporating better RTL support. The key is to:
- Stay updated with tool improvements
- Provide feedback to developers about RTL needs
- Share successful RTL workflows with the community
- Consider RTL support as a key criterion when choosing new tools
Conclusion
While the digital landscape still has room for improvement regarding RTL language support, strategic tool selection and smart workarounds can create highly productive RTL workflows.
The key is to build your digital toolkit around RTL-friendly tools while having backup strategies for when you need to use less accommodating platforms.
