You do not understand a text in a foreign language on a panel, a menu or a label? With your phone’s camera and free tools from Google, you can translate it instantly!
Almost magical! In fifteen years of existence, the Google Translation application, which today supports a good hundred languages, has made extraordinary progress. Far from being satisfied, like a dictionary, with translating into French a word typed from the keyboard of your smartphone, it now recognizes handwriting, delivers to you in the language of your choice and in a few seconds long texts of news published on the Web and even acts as an interpreter to facilitate verbal exchanges with the local population. And this, without you having to pay anything… provided that your data plan works without additional cost in the country visited.
More impressively, during your wanderings, all you have to do is point the lens of your smartphone’s camera at a text to obtain an almost instantaneous translation and, if you wish, save it for later consultation. Of course, depending on the languages and the performance of your Internet connection, the quality of this translation can sometimes leave something to be desired. Google then offers you a scanning tool to give him, in a few extra seconds, time to improve his copy. On the most common languages, the result is quite impressive.
Rich in functions, Google Translate can turn out to be a real gas plant, sometimes difficult to master, even a little invasive if you decide to let the application run in the background. But as regards its photo function, efficient and fast, it will become a good travel companion, which, if it is not supposed to win a great literary prize, will help you out for sure.
This easy-to-use function also exists within the Google Lens image recognition application, present in Google Photos or even sometimes directly integrated into the camera of your smartphone. Which can be very handy if you haven’t thought about downloading Traduction and don’t feel like doing it in the middle of the street. Not as effective as Translation, Lens has a major advantage, however. A recent update, currently being deployed, enables real-time translation without the need for an Internet connection. The only prerequisite is to download – via Wi-Fi from your hotel, for example – the necessary language packs, namely French and that of the country in which you are staying… provided that this language is available among the fifty made available !
It goes without saying that all these translation functions are also useful even if you are not travelling: you can perfectly use them to translate a label, a list of ingredients, an instruction manual, a technical sheet, an advertisement, a newspaper article, a poster, lyrics on a record cover, in short, all kinds of texts in other languages in everyday life.
Finally, note that even if the captures presented below were taken on an Android smartphone, you can use Google Translate, Google Lens and Google Photos on iPhone since the corresponding apps also exist in iOS version.
How to translate a text on mobile with Google Translate?
Totally free, the Google Translate application allows you to translate text into 103 languages (including 59 offline after downloading language packs). Above all, it instantly translates up to 88 languages using your smartphone’s camera!
- If you don’t already have it on your smartphone, download and install the Google Translate app.
Download Google Translate for Android
Download Google Translate for iOS
- After installation, launch the application. In the configuration window that appears, choose your main language and the main translation language by pressing the two blue arrows that point down.
- Hundreds of languages are available. You can keep French for the first and English for the second, for example, as suggested. You can make changes later if you wish.
- Leave the line checked Translate offline if you want to download the packs of these two languages for later offline use, then press ENDED.
- In the drop-down pane that appears, select the line Welcomethen in the menu Google Translate displayed, press the blue arrow which follows the language mentioned on the left.
- In the window Source languageselect DETECT THE LANGUAGE.
- In the menu Google Translatepress camera icon then in the pop-up that appears, leave (or not) checked Allow Google to retain images for product improvement by checkingthen press Continue. In the second pop-up titled Allow the Translate app to take photos and record videospress the line When using the app if you plan to use the function regularly.
- In the Photos app interface, point your camera lens at the text to be translated as shown. At the very top right, press flash icon if you need a little more light and your target is close. Be aware that the quality of translation of a text will depend on both your Internet connection and the light available. We also obtain the most relevant results on the most used languages in the world such as English or Spanish.
- Hold the camera lens pointed at the text to be translated to see the translation gradually appear. The latter will probably not be perfect but will allow you to understand the general meaning of the text.
- To improve it, keep aiming the camera at the text, select scanner icon then press the button displayed in transparency just above.
- A scan of the text takes place. Wait a few moments.
- The text is displayed in its entirety with each of its words framed. To translate the words that interest you, select them with your fingertip, then press the blue line to read the French translation.
- Press the star favorites which turns yellow to save it, then open the general menu by pressing the three horizontal bars on the top corner left.
- Press the line Lexicon to later find the original expression and its translation
- To get a translation of the set, press Select all
- Press on the top blue line to read the French translation.
- It is not possible to save a long text in the lexicon, only a few words. Your latest translations nevertheless remain available on the application’s home page and it is possible to copy and paste them easily into the mobile notepad type application.
- You can apply this enhanced translation feature on the photos stored in your smartphone memory. To do so, click on Import iconthen select the photo of your choice which will then be scanned and processed as in the previous step.
How to translate a text on mobile with the Lens function of Google Photos?
Sometimes built into your smartphone’s camera, Google Lens (also available as a standalone app for those who want to download it), is one of the many features of Google Photos. Based on a visual analysis, Lens provides all kinds of information about your surroundings (monuments, flora, food, etc.) and also allows you to translate a foreign language text in offline mode.
- If you don’t already have it on your smartphone, download and install the Google Photos app.
Download Google Photos for Android
Download Google Lens for Android
Download Google Photos for iOS
- Launch the app Google Photos and open on the text photography to translate to display it.
- Press under the photo if necessary to bring up the different functions. Click on lens icon at the bottom of the photo (the point in an openwork square).
- Press the three bars bottom left that form an arrow pointing down.
- Press on the first iconwhich looks like Google Translate (a white circle with a cross and an A).
- Lens launches language detection and begins its translation work.
- The translation appears on the photo instead of the original text. Press at the bottom of the image on the right on the button Open in Google Translate.
- The text displays in the web version of Google Translate (translate.google.com) or in the app if installed on your smartphone.
- If you have the latest version of Google Photos, you can get a translation without having any internet connection. You must first download the necessary language packs. During recognition in online mode as before, press on the line that displays the source language and the destination language (here, English to French).
- If you visit the Netherlands, for example, in the window Select a language, scroll down the list to Dutchthen press the arrow which points down (in a circle), meaning the language can be downloaded.
- In the pop-up window Translate offline into DutchPress on To download.
- In the menu Select a languageDutch is now followed by a highlighted tick signifying that the pack has been downloaded.
- Switch your phone to airplane mode, then open a photo with Dutch text. Press function lens.
- Press at the bottom left on the three lines which form an arrow pointing down.
- Finally press the icon Translation (a white circle with a cross and an A).
- The (approximate) translation of the text in French is superimposed on the original text. Press on copy all to copy the text to the clipboard if you want to keep it.
- For an improved translation, you will need to return to online mode by disabling the airplane mode (back to your hotel, for example). You can then press Open in Google Translate.
- The web version of Google Translate then offers you an improved version of the text.
