Google Translate is the closest thing we have yet to the universal translator in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Thankfully it's not a fish you have to insert into your ear but a mobile app that's capable of translating over 100 languages. You can translate between them all.
What's available spans the alphabet, from Afrikaans to Zulu and pretty much everything in between, including:
● Arabic
● Chinese
● English
● French
● Spanish
● And Yiddish
But it's not just the major language groups. There are lots of lesser-used languages as well, including Basque, Scots Gaelic, Icelandic, and Maori, for example.
● Text translation by typing in words or phrases
● Offline translation for 59 languages
● Instant translation using your camera (94 languages)
● Save, and star frequently used words and phrases
● Hear native speaker audio of your translation
Google Translate is celebrating its 15th birthday year. And as each year passes, Google Translate gets more and more valuable and feature-laden. If you are dealing with people or organizations in another language, Google Translate is a must-have app on your phone.
If available, be sure to download the offline version of the language you wish to translate. This is a smart move as you are then not dependent on data or a WiFi signal to get the job done.
If you have occasionally used Google Translate on the web, you will find the app version even better as there are many more handy features you are going to love.
Where to start?
Number one has got to be the Tap to Translate feature. Merely copy the text in any app and tap the Google Translate icon for an instant translation with zero messing about.
The app also utilizes your phone's camera to save you the hassle of keying in anything at all. For most languages, all you need do is point your camera at the text, be a menu or a sign, and get an instant translation. Though, for better translations in 90 languages, you should take or import a pic instead. Anyone that needs to translate Chinese or Japanese script will find Google Translate a particular boon.
For some languages, you can translate bilingual convos on the fly for 70 languages. But for eight languages, you can continuously translate someone speaking in another language in almost real-time.
However, there's always a `but.' And here's Google Translate's. With some languages, it struggles with context. It may be suitable for some of the more widely used languages but flounders with some others, particularly with lengthy or complicated sentences.
● It's free
● Super handy
● Arguably the best translation app around
● Sometimes has difficulties with longer sentences
● Struggles occasionally with context
Google Translate is by far better in mobile app form. It's downloadable from Google Play. The Android version's requirements vary by device.
iOS users need to set aside 91.2 MB of storage space and be packing 12.2 or later.
Both Android and iOS users give Google Translate a big thumbs up, rating it as 4.5 out of five.
