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Need to translate a speech or text on the go? Several mobile apps can get the job done, but for those of you who own an iPhone, iPad or Apple WatchApple offers its own application. Unveiled with iOS 14, the Translate The 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 are also available for download 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 overlaid translation. On an Apple Watch, you can have a real-time conversation with another person simply by speaking, listening, and switching languages. Now here’s how to translate text and speech on your Apple device.

Translate text and speech

Ready to translate? Your first step in the application should be to choose the source language (the one that needs to be translated) and the target language (the one you are translating into). Tap the down arrow of the first language, if it is not already set correctly, and change it to the language you want. Do the same for the second language.

Tap anywhere in the space below the listed language and enter the text. As you type, the translation appears for each word in real time. You will also notice that the keyboard will change to include the characters and symbols of the selected language. For example, Ukrainian keyboard will display Ukrainian alphabet, Arabic keyboard will display Arabic writing, and Japanese keyboard will display Japanese kanji. Predictive text also changes depending on the language.

Start typing a word in your chosen language and the suggestions display words in that language. Faucet Following on the keyboard, then the Play next to your original words and/or translation to hear each spoken aloud.

If you prefer to speak your sentence, tap the microphone icon. Wait for the listening message to appear on the screen, 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. Press the Play icon to hear the translation spoken aloud.

Do you want to quickly change source and target languages? Tap the wavy 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 display gender-based alternatives for people and objects. This way you can change the translated text based on gender. To enable it, tap the ellipsis icon at the top of the Translation screen and select Show grammatical gender.

Typically, the app requires an internet connection to translate, but you can download specific languages ​​for offline translation. Tap the ellipsis icon at the top right and select Download languages. To download a language, tap the icon Download button next to it.

Manage your translations

Once the text is translated, a set of icons appear below. If you tap the arrow icon, the translation will be displayed in full screen. In this view you can select the Play to listen to the sentence or on the speech bubble to return to normal display.

Tap the star icon to add the translated phrase to a favorites list. You can then choose the Favorites at the bottom of the screen to access all the translations you have saved. To remove a phrase from favorites, swipe it to the left and tap the star icon.

You can get the definitions of any word in the original sentence or in the translation. Tap the icon that looks like a book below the translation. The first word in the translation is highlighted and defined. Tap any other word to see its dictionary definition.

Do you want to send a translation to someone? Tap the clipboard icon below the translation and the sentence is copied to clipboard. You can then open an app or file and paste the phrase.

You can also delete 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 conversation in real time

You can also use the Translate app to interpret a real-time conversation between two people. To do this, press the Conversation icon at the bottom. If necessary, tap both languages ​​listed to change them. Tap the ellipsis icon at the top for more options. Choose Detect languageand the app will automatically detect what is being said.

Instead of pressing the microphone button every time someone wants to speak, select Automatic translationand the app will determine when a person starts and stops speaking. By default, translations appear on screen but are not spoken. THE Read the translations The option will ensure that each side of the conversation is automatically read aloud.

Now tap on the microphone icon to start speaking. If all the new options are enabled, you won’t need to press any buttons or icons. Just speak and the app will translate each side of the conversation.

Switch between side-by-side and face-to-face modes

Chats has two modes that you can choose depending on how you want to hold your device. Press the See link at the top to switch between Side by side fashions and Face to face mode, then position your device accordingly.

Side-by-side mode is used when you and the other person are seated next to each other. You hold the device horizontally in front of you so the person next to you can see their side of the conversation. Face to Face mode is for face-to-face conversations. You place the phone between you and the other person so that each end of the phone is oriented so they can read the conversation.

Translate text from your camera or image

With iOS 17 And iPadOS 17 or higher, you can point your camera at the text and see the overlaid translation in real time. Press the Camera in the app, 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 trigger. Press the Share icon to share the translated image by email, text or other method.

Using the Camera feature, you can also translate the text of an existing photo in your library. After setting the languages, press the Photos icon to the left of the shutter button. Browse your photo library until you find the image you want. Select this image and the overlaid translation appears.

Want to translate text on a website, document, or app outside of the Translate app? Simply select the text you need translated and press the button Translate menu command. The translated text appears in a small window. You can then hear the translation read aloud or copy and paste the translated text. Press 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 handle a one-off translation or help you conduct a real-time conversation with another person. To get started, open the Translate app from the watch’s 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 then return to the main screen.

To start a conversation with someone, tap the microphone icon. Start talking; When you’re done, the translation appears on the watch screen and is read aloud so the other person can hear it. Swipe down to view both languages. Tap the wavy line to switch source and target language. While the other person speaks, the translation appears and is read aloud in your language.

You can delete a conversation you no longer need and mark the one 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, just tap the small star icon at the top left.

Tap the ellipsis icon at the top right. Tap the turtle icon to slow down playback and the rabbit icon to speed it up. Turn it on Autoplay translations switch to set an automatically spoken translation. Keep preferred input set to Voice.

If you’re worried about encountering places with poor or no internet access, download a language in advance so the app can still work offline. Faucet Downloaded languages and choose each language you want to download. The app supports Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.

Returning to the previous screen, turn on the On-device mode Change if you want translations to work offline with downloaded languages. However, this prevents you from using languages ​​you haven’t downloaded.