Philly 311 mobile app launches foreign language feature

The city launched a foreign language add-on to its Philly 311 mobile app, which lets Philadelphians report city service problems.

Available in five languages, the foreign language widget offers information on receiving translation services, interacting with city government, finding community resources such as the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians and the Pennsylvania Immigrant and Citizenship Coalition and more.

The Philly 311 mobile app itself is available in 16 different languages, but this new collection of FAQs will be populated with the five most used languages beyond English, including Spanish, Russian and Korean.

In the press release, Jennifer Rodriguez, who heads the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant and Multicultural Affairs, cited a study by the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians that found that immigrants use mobile technology more than the overall U.S. population.

The foreign language widget is the latest in a series of features that the city has added to its 311 mobile app since its launch nearly a year ago. The widgets fall in line with the city’s goal of using the mobile app as more than just an app, but a platform for the city to reach its citizens.