PCMag editors select and review products independent. If you buy through affiliate links we may earn commissions, which help support us testing.
Do you want to translate speech or text on the go? Several mobile apps can get the job done, but for those of you with an iPhone, iPad or Apple WatchApple offers its own app. Revealed with iOS 14, the Translate app supports 19 languages including English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Ukrainian, Polish, Arabic, Dutch, Indonesian, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese. Some can also be downloaded for offline access.
On an iPhone or iPad, you can see the translation in real time as you type or speak, copy and paste a translation, and point your camera at the text to see the overlapping translation. On an Apple Watch, you can have a conversation with someone else in real time by simply speaking, listening, and switching the language back and forth. Here’s how to translate text and speech on your Apple device.
Translate text and speech
Ready to translate? Your first step within the app should be to open it source language (the language to be translated) and the target language (the language you are translating into). Tap the down arrow for the first language, if it is not already set correctly, and change it to the desired language. Do the same for the second language.
Tap anywhere in the space below the displayed language and enter the text. As you type, the translation for each word appears in real time. You will also notice that the keyboard changes to include the characters and symbols for the selected language. For example, the Ukrainian keyboard displays the Ukrainian alphabet, the Arabic keyboard displays the Arabic script, and the Japanese keyboard displays the Japanese kanji. Predictive text also changes based on language.
Start typing a word in your chosen language, and the suggestions will display words in that language. Crane Next on the keyboard and then the Play button next to your original words and/or the translation to hear them all out loud.
If you prefer to speak your line, tap the microphone icon. Wait for the listening message to appear on the screen and then speak. Your words then appear on the screen as you speak; make sure they match what you say. The translation appears on the screen. Tap the Play icon to hear the translation out loud.
Do you want to quickly switch the source and target language? Tap the squiggly line between them. You or someone else can then type or speak in the new source language and wait for the translation.
For gendered languages that use masculine and feminine forms, you can view gender-based alternatives for people and objects. This way you can customize the translated text based on gender. To enable this, tap the ellipse icon at the top of the translation screen and select Show grammatical gender.
Normally the app requires an internet connection to translate, but you can download specific languages for offline translation. Tap the ellipse icon at the top right and select Download languages. To download a language, tap Download button next to it.
Manage your translations
Once the text has been translated, a series of icons will appear below it. Tapping the arrow icon will display the translation in full screen. From this view you can view the Play to listen to the sentence or to the dialogue bubble to return to normal viewing.
Tap the star icon to add the translated sentence to a list of favorites. You can then choose the Favorites icon at the bottom of the screen to access all the translations you have saved. To remove a phrase as a favorite, swipe it to the left and tap the star icon.
You can get definitions of any word in the original sentence or the translation. Tap the icon that looks like a book, below the translation. The first word in the translation is highlighted and defined. Tap another word to see its dictionary definition.
Would you like to send a translation to someone? Tap the clipboard icon below the translation and the sentence is copied to the clipboard. Then you can open an app or file and paste the sentence.
You can also remove a translation from the home screen if you no longer need it. To delete a translation, swipe it to the left and tap the trash can icon.
Translate a real-time conversation
You can also use the Translate app to interpret a real-time conversation between two people. To do this, tap the Conversation icon at the bottom. If necessary, tap the two languages listed to change them. Tap the ellipse icon at the top for more options. To elect Detect languageand the app automatically detects what is being spoken.
Instead of tapping the microphone button every time someone wants to speak, select Automatic translationand the app determines when one person starts and stops talking. By default, translations appear on the screen, but are not spoken. The Play translations option ensures that each side of the conversation is automatically read out.
Now tap the microphone icon to start speaking. Once you’ve enabled all the new options, you won’t need to tap any buttons or icons. Just speak and the app will translate every side of the conversation.
Switch between Side-by-side and Face-to-face modes
Calls have two modes that you can choose depending on how you want to hold your device. Tap the Display link at the top to switch between Next to each other mode and Face to face mode and then position your device accordingly.
Side by Side mode is for when you and the other person are sitting next to each other. You hold the device horizontally in front of you so that the person next to you can see his or her side of the conversation. Face-to-Face mode is for when you talk face-to-face. You place the phone between you and the other person so that each end of the phone is oriented so that he or she can read the conversation.
Translate text from your camera or image
Of iOS 17 And iPadOS 17 or higher, you can point your camera at text and view the overlapping translation in real time. Tap the Camera icon in the app and then choose the languages displayed. Now point the camera at the text and the translation should appear on the screen. Select the Flashlight icon to shed some light on the scene. You can capture the translated text by selecting the shutter button. Tap the Part icon to share the translated image via email, text, or other method.
The camera feature also lets you translate text from an existing photo in your library. Once you have set the languages, tap the Photos icon to the left of the shutter button. Scroll through your photo library until you find the image you want. Select that image and the overlapping translation will appear.
Want to translate text from a website, document, or app outside the Translate app? Just select the text you want to translate and tap the Translate command from the menu. The translated text will appear in a small window. You can then read the translation or copy and paste the translated text. Tap the Change language command to select a new target language.
Translate a conversation on your Apple Watch
The Translate app on your Apple Watch can provide a one-time translation or help you have a real-time conversation with someone else. To get started, open the Translate app from the watch home screen and tap Continue. Tap the first language displayed to change the source language, then tap the second language to set the target language. You will then return to the main screen.
To start a conversation with someone, tap the microphone icon. Start speaking; when you’re done, the translation will appear on the watch screen and be read out loud for the other person to hear. Swipe down the screen to display the two languages. Tap the squiggly line to switch the source and target languages. As the other person speaks, the translation appears and is read aloud in your language.
You can delete a conversation that you no longer need, or tag a conversation that you want to reuse. To delete a conversation, swipe it to the left and tap the trash can icon. To mark a conversation as a favorite, swipe it to the right and tap the star icon. To view your favorite conversations, simply tap the little star icon at the top left.
Tap the ellipse icon at the top right. Tap the turtle icon to slow down playback and the rabbit icon to speed it up. Switch the Autoplay translations switch to set a translation to be spoken automatically. Leave the preferred input set to Vote.
If you’re worried about encountering places with weak or no internet access, download a language in advance so the app can still work offline. Crane Downloaded languages and choose any language you want to download. The app supports Arabic, Chinese Mandarin, Dutch, English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.
Back to the previous screen, switch the Mode on device switch if you want the translations to work offline with the downloaded languages. However, this will prevent you from using languages that you have not downloaded.
