Introduction
The January 2015 update of the Google Translate app for iOS and Android devices offers powerful and impressive machine translation capabilities. It is a free download
Download:
Translate Features
Images
- You can point your device's camera to a image with text (from a street sign or menu for example), and the Translate app will automatically translate the text and overlay the translated text on the screen. This is the technology from Word Lens which Google acquired some time ago. Instant translation currently works for translation from English to and from French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. This works without Internet access.
- For other languages not supported Google Translate app can still scan a photo taken from your phone and to get a translation of it in 36 languages.
Text
- words or phrases can be translated by typing them into app. This requires Internet access, however a phrasebook of past translations can be stored for viewing when you're offline.
- The Android version of Google Translate does allow for downloading of languages for offline translation when words or phrases are typed in. See https://support.google.com/translate/answer/6142473?hl=en
Voice
- an translate words or phrases by speaking them to the Translate app
Handwriting
First, Google Translate offers instant translation using your camera to recognize and to automatically overlay the translated text on the screen. (this is the technology from Word Lens which Google acquired some time ago). Instant translation currently works for translation from English to and from French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. Note that the Google Translate app can still scan a photo taken from your phone and to get a translation of it in 36 languages.
What's more interesting is the ability for your phone to capture audio from two persons speaking and have Google Translate speak a translated version so two speakers speaking different languages can communicate back and forth.
Video showing Google Translate