Google Translate

Bridging language gaps across everyday conversations, written documents, and media, Google Translate converts text, speech, and imagery across dozens of languages. Users can manually type text to translate across 108 languages, but the app also functions across other installed software through Tap to Translate, letting you copy foreign text in any program and translate it instantly by tapping an on-screen icon without switching interfaces.

Camera and Image Translations

Visual text can be translated using two different camera methods. By pointing your device’s camera at signs, menus, or printed documents, the instant camera translation tool translates the wording on the screen across 94 languages. For higher-quality output or pre-existing pictures, you can take a new picture or import existing images from your device gallery to translate text across 90 languages.

Real-Time Speech and Transcriptions

Spoken communication is supported through dedicated audio modes. The conversation feature processes bilingual spoken exchanges on the fly across 70 languages, enabling two individuals speaking different tongues to communicate. For longer individual speeches, the transcribe mode continuously converts someone speaking another language into translated text in near real-time, an option available across eight languages.

Offline Access and Alternate Input Methods

Constant connectivity is not mandatory to use Google Translate, as you can download data packs to translate without an internet connection across 59 languages. For non-Latin scripts or systems where keyboard input is cumbersome, the handwriting tool allows you to draw characters directly onto the screen across 96 languages instead of typing them.

Saved Vocabulary and Permissions

Important or frequent translations can be starred and organized in a personal phrasebook across all supported languages. Logging into your account syncs these saved entries seamlessly between the mobile app and a desktop computer. The app may request optional device permissions—including the microphone for speech, the camera for visual text, contacts for account setup, and external storage to hold downloaded offline translation files—though core functions remain usable even if these permissions are declined.