RTL Layout Support

Better Messages automatically mirrors its entire interface for right-to-left languages — Arabic, Hebrew, Persian (Farsi), Urdu, and any other language WordPress identifies as RTL. There's no separate RTL theme, no admin toggle, and no per-user setting — the messenger detects the site language direction and adapts everything: message bubbles, conversation list, navigation, input field, toolbars, attachments, and call UI.

What it adds#

Automatic detection of WordPress site language direction (no manual configuration)
Full interface mirroring — message bubbles align right, avatars on the right, controls on the left
Works with all 30+ shipped translations including ar, he, fa, fa_IR, ar_DZ, ar_MA, ur, ar_SY, ar_LB
Same RTL behavior in DMs, group chats, chat rooms, mini-chats, and the mobile app
Compatible with all integrations — BuddyPress, BuddyBoss, PeepSo, UM, etc. all render RTL correctly
No extra plugin or addon required

How it works#

WordPress sets is_rtl() to true when the active locale is one of its known RTL languages (or when a translation file declares RTL). Better Messages reads this flag on every render and:

UI element	RTL behavior
Message bubbles	Own messages on the left, others' on the right (mirrored)
Conversation list	Avatar on the right, name + last message reading right-to-left
Message input	Cursor starts on the right, text flows right-to-left
Toolbar (emoji, attachment, send)	Mirrored — send button on the left
Conversation header	Title and back arrow mirrored
Mini-chat popups	Open from the bottom-left instead of bottom-right
Call UI	Controls mirrored, participant grid order reversed
Notification badges	Position adapted to RTL flow

Mixed content (an Arabic message that contains an English URL or code block) is handled correctly — bidirectional Unicode rules apply within each message, so the URL stays left-to-right inside the RTL bubble.

Supported RTL languages#

The plugin ships with translations and tested RTL support for:

Language	WordPress locale codes
Arabic (multiple dialects)	`ar`, `ar_DZ`, `ar_MA`, `ar_SY`, `ar_LB`, `ar_EG`, `ar_SA`
Hebrew	`he_IL`
Persian / Farsi	`fa_IR`, `fa_AF`
Urdu	`ur`

Any RTL language not in this list is still supported visually — the layout mirrors based on is_rtl(). You just may need to provide your own .po translation file if the strings aren't bundled.

How to enable#

RTL activates automatically when the WordPress site language is set to an RTL language.

Set the site language at WP Admin → Settings → General → Site Language.

For per-user multilingual sites (where some users prefer Arabic and others English), pair this with a translation plugin like TranslatePress or WPML — RTL direction follows the user's chosen language automatically.

Frequently asked questions#

Does RTL break any feature?#

No. Every feature — voice/video calls, attachments, emoji picker, AI bots, mini-chats — is RTL-aware. If you spot a UI element that doesn't mirror, that's a bug — report it on the support forum.

How does RTL interact with the mobile app?#

The mobile app respects the device's language direction. If the user's iOS/Android system is set to Arabic or Hebrew, the entire app mirrors. The web app respects WordPress site language; they're independent.

Can a single user override RTL to use LTR layout?#

No per-user override exists. Direction is driven by site (or device on mobile) language. To allow LTR within an Arabic site, use a multilingual plugin and let users switch language.

What about CSS customizations — will they break RTL?#

The plugin uses logical CSS properties (margin-inline-start instead of margin-left, etc.) wherever direction matters. Custom CSS that uses physical properties (margin-left) will work in LTR but may need mirroring for RTL.

Is the AI chat bot's response in RTL too?#

Yes — the AI's response is just text. If the conversation is in Arabic, the AI replies in Arabic (using the configured AI provider's language detection), and the bubble renders right-to-left.