How to Use Apple's Built-In Translate App as Your Personal Translator

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Need 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 Watch, Apple offers its own app. Unveiled 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 are also available to 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 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 the languages back and forth. Now, 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 choose the source language (the one that needs to be translated) and the target language (the one you're translating to). Tap the down arrow for the first language, if it’s 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'll also notice that the keyboard will change to include the characters and symbols for the selected language. For instance, the Ukrainian keyboard will display the Ukrainian alphabet, the Arabic keyboard will show Arabic script, and the Japanese keyboard will display Japanese kanji. Predictive text also changes based on the language.

Start typing a word in the language you chose, and the suggestions display words in that language. Tap Next on the keyboard, then the Play button next to your original words and/or the translation to hear each one spoken aloud.

If you’d rather speak your phrase, 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 talk; make sure they match what you say. The translation pops up on the screen. Tap the Play icon to hear the translation spoken aloud.

Want to quickly switch the source and target languages? Tap the squiggly line in 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, feminine forms, you can view gender-based alternatives for people and objects. This way, you’re able to tweak the translated text based on gender. To enable this, tap the ellipsis icon at the top of the Translation screen and select Show Grammatical Gender.

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

Manage Your Translations

After the text is translated, a set of icons pop up underneath it. If you tap the arrow icon, it will show the translation in full screen. From this view, you can select the Play button to listen to the phrase or the dialog balloon to return to normal view.

Tap the star icon to add the translated phrase to a list of favorites. You can then choose the Favorites icon at the bottom of the screen to access all the translations you’ve 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 phrase 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 any other word to see its dictionary definition.

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

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 listed languages to change them. Tap the ellipsis icon at the top for more options. Choose Detect Language, and the app will automatically detect what's being spoken.

Instead of tapping the microphone button each time someone wants to speak, select Auto Translate, and the app will determine when one person starts and stops speaking. By default, translations appear on the screen but are not spoken. The Play Translations option will make sure each side of the conversation is automatically read aloud.

Now tap the microphone icon to start speaking. If you have all the new options turned on, you won’t need to tap 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

Conversations have two modes you can choose depending on how you wish to hold your device. Tap the View link at the top to switch between Side by Side 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 one another. You hold the device horizontally in front of you so that the person next to you can view their side of the conversation. Face to Face mode is intended for when you're conversing face to face. You place the phone between you and the other person so that each end of the phone is oriented for them to read the conversation.

Translate Text From Your Camera or Image

With iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 or higher, you can point your camera at text and see the overlaid translation in real time. Tap the Camera icon in the app, then choose the displayed languages. Now, point the camera at the text, and the translation should appear on-screen. Select the Flashlight icon to throw some light onto the scene. You can capture the translated text by selecting the shutter button. Tap the Share icon to share the translated image via email, text, or other method.

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

Want to translate text from a website, document, or app outside of the Translate app? Just select the text you need translated and tap the Translate command from the menu. The translated text appears in a small window. You can then hear the translation read aloud 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 handle one-time translation or help you conduct a real-time conversation with another person. To start, 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’re then returned to the main screen.

To kick off a conversation with someone, tap the microphone icon. Start speaking; when you’re done, the translation appears on the watch screen and is read aloud 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 remove a conversation you no longer need as well as tag one you want to reuse. To remove a conversation, swipe it to the left and tap the trash can icon. To tag 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 in the upper left.

Tap the ellipsis icon in the upper right. Tap the turtle icon to slow down the playback and the rabbit icon to speed it up. Turn on the Auto-Play Translations switch to set a translation to automatically be spoken. Keep the preferred input set to Voice.

If you're afraid you'll run into spots with weak or no internet access, download a language ahead of time so the app can still work offline. Tap Downloaded Languages and choose each 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 at the previous screen, turn on the On-Device Mode switch if you want the translations to work offline with the downloaded languages. However, this prevents you from using any languages you haven’t downloaded.