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Don't Speak the Language? How to Use Google Translate as Your Interpreter

Google's Translate and Assistant apps can translate text and images in dozens of languages.

Updated September 1, 2023
Google Translate app (Credit: Zaid Harith / Shutterstock)

These days, it's relatively easy to translate text into different languages. There are a variety of apps, websites, tools, and devices that can get the job done. However, if you ever need to translate a menu or sign, transcribe a conversation, dictate text in a different language, or talk with someone who speaks another language, Google provides two apps capable of translating languages.

The Google Translate app and website can translate dozens of languages, either through text or voice. Just type, write, or speak into the app. The program even allows you to point your smartphone's camera at a sign or menu written in a foreign language and view a live translation.

Google Assistant offers an Interpreter mode with real-time translations that lets you carry on a conversation with someone speaking different languages. After you ask Google to help you with a specific language, the Assistant automatically translates your words so you can maintain a back-and-forth conversation with the other person.

Here’s how to use both the Google Translate app and Google Assistant to translate languages.


How to Use Google Translate

The Google Translate app can be downloaded from Apple's App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google's Play Store for Android devices. Both versions offer roughly the same features but with somewhat different layouts. A small sampling of the many languages supported by the app include French, Italian, German, Spanish, Greek, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Arabic, Russian, Hebrew, and Yiddish.

You can translate typed text among more than 100 different languages, see translations of images in around 90 languages, translate bilingual conversations on the fly in 43 languages, and draw text for translation in 95 languages. Offline translations are also available for many languages. Plus, you’re able to save translated words and phrases for future use.

Translate Text

Enter the text to translate
(Credit: Lance Whitney / Google)

Let's say you want an Italian translation of an English phrase. Tap the name of the current language on the left side and select English as the source language. Tap the name of the language on the right and select Italian as the target language. Next, tap the field that says Enter text and start typing the English word or phrase you wish to translate.

Use your finger or a stylus to write the text
(Credit: Lance Whitney / Google)

Alternatively, tap the pen icon and write a phrase in English one character at a time using your finger or a stylus. As you enter characters on the screen, the app tries to predict what you plan to write in full by displaying possible word and letter combinations.

Listen to the translation
(Credit: Lance Whitney / Google)

Select one of the suggestions or continue writing until Google displays the entire word or phrase. You can then choose the suggestion or press Enter to generate a translation in the desired language. Tap the right arrow button next to the translation and then tap a speaker icon next to the phrase in either language to hear it spoken aloud.

Share Translations

Share or copy the translation on an iPhone
(Credit: Lance Whitney / Google / Apple)

Google Translate allows you to share your translations with others. On an iPhone, tap the ellipsis icon and then select Share to share the translation with someone else. From the same menu, tap Full Screen to see the translation full screen. Tap the Copy icon to copy it and paste it elsewhere.

Share or copy the translation on an Android device
(Credit: Lance Whitney / Google)

You can do the same from an Android phone. Tap the Copy icon at the top of the screen to copy the translation. Otherwise, you can tap the three-dot icon at the top and select Share to copy the text or send it through Nearby Share.

Translate Images

Translate an image
(Credit: Lance Whitney / Google)

Another cool feature lets you translate text in an image via your phone’s camera. Google Translate offers live translations, though some languages require a downloadable language pack. At the home screen in the app, choose the source and target languages and then tap the camera icon.

Take a photo of the image on an iPhone
(Credit: Lance Whitney / Google / Apple)

Aim your device's camera at the sign, menu, or document you need translated. Once the app has a moment to recognize the text, the translation is superimposed over the image and is viewable right on the screen. You can then take a photo of the translated image to select the text, listen to it spoken aloud, run a web search, and more.

Transcribe Speech

Transcribe Speech
(Credit: Lance Whitney / Google)

You can speak in one language, and the app will transcribe what you say into another language. Tap the microphone icon at the top of the screen and speak your word or phrase into the app. Google Translate translates your words into the target language. Tap the speaker icon to hear the translation.

As another option, tap the Transcribe icon and then start speaking. Tap the microphone icon when done. You can then select and copy the transcription to paste it elsewhere.

Have Real-Time Conversations

Have a Real-Time Conversation
(Credit: Lance Whitney / Google)

The Google Translate app helps you carry on a back-and-forth conversation with someone who speaks a different language. Choose the two languages and tap the Conversation icon. You can then carry on the conversation manually or automatically.

Going the manual route requires you to tap the icon of the language of the current speaker. Choosing the automatic method by tapping the Auto icon tells Google to determine who’s speaking based on the language.


Google Assistant

Most Android devices come with Google Assistant pre-installed, but you can also download it from the Play Store or App Store. The Assistant's Interpreter mode supports more than 44 different languages, including English, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese. 

Interpreter mode is also accessible on Google Nest speakers, certain smart speakers with built-in Google Assistant, and certain smart clocks.

Translate Conversations

Automatically translate your speech
(Credit: Lance Whitney / Google)

To get started, launch Google Assistant on your device and tell Google the language you want to use. You can phrase your command in a variety of ways, such as:

  • "Hey Google, be my Spanish interpreter."

  • "Hey Google, help me speak French."

  • "Hey Google, interpret from English to Russian."

  • "Hey Google, Japanese interpreter."

  • "Hey Google, turn on interpreter mode."

If you tell Google to turn on interpreter mode, the Assistant will detect your own language and then ask you which language you wish to use for the interpreting. After the feature kicks off, tap the microphone icon and say something in your own language. Google displays and speaks the interpretation in the other language.

Hand the device to the other person. As they speak in their language, Google will translate it. The Assistant will then display and speak their words in your set language. You can continue in this way to carry to have a back-and-forth conversation with the other person.

Manually translate your speech
(Lance Whitney/Google)

By default, the Assistant automatically detects the language being spoken and translates it into your preferred language. That should work smoothly most of the time. However, you can also tap Manual to switch over to manual. For this to work, you must tap the microphone icon for your language when you speak and the icon for the other language when the other person wants to speak.

Use the keyboard to translate text
(Lance Whitney/Google)

You can also use your keyboard to translate between languages. This may be useful if both you and the other person are viewing your mobile device, or you need a translation for something other than a real-time conversation.

Before you can use this option, you may need to install the keyboard for some languages. On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards. Tap Add New Keyboard, select the language, and tap Done.

To do this on an Android phone, go to Settings and locate the option for keyboards or languages. The menu should have an option that allows you to add new languages. Then select the language you need from the list.

You can access the keyboard feature by tapping Keyboard at the bottom of the Google Assistant translate page. Tap the blue keyboard icon to select your language, then type your message and the translation will appear underneath. Tap the speaker icon to hear the translation read aloud or use the copy icon to paste the translation elsewhere. 

Tap the keyboard icon to set the language for another person and then press the necessary icon for your keyboard to switch to their language. The other person can type a response using the new keyboard. When you're finished with Interpreter mode, tap the X button in the upper right or just say "Stop."

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About Lance Whitney

Contributor

I've been working for PCMag since early 2016 writing tutorials, how-to pieces, and other articles on consumer technology. Beyond PCMag, I've written news stories and tutorials for a variety of other websites and publications, including CNET, ZDNet, TechRepublic, Macworld, PC World, Time, US News & World Report, and AARP Magazine. I spent seven years writing breaking news for CNET as one of the site’s East Coast reporters. I've also written two books for Wiley & Sons—Windows 8: Five Minutes at a Time and Teach Yourself Visually LinkedIn.

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