iOS App of the Day: Google Translate
Language barrier issues can arise at a moment’s notice and probably occur more than you realize. Finding yourself in either a professional or personal situation that demands a quick translation on-the-fly means finding a reliable translating service a must . This is where having the Google Translate app for iOS becomes extremely helpful. The Google Translate app allows you to easily translate word and phrases with support for over 60 languages. The app’s voice feature also makes it the perfect travel companion or professional tool on-the-go.
Pros:
- Translate text between 64 languages
- Translate by speaking the text instead of typing it (17 languages)
- Listen to your translations spoken aloud (24 languages)
- Display translations in full screen mode to make it easier for others nearby to read
- Star your favorite translations for quick access even when you’re offline
- Tap to copy translation
- Access your translation history even when you’re offline
- Spell out the translation of non-Latin script languages (e.g. Chinese, Japanese, etc..) in Latin characters to read it phonetically (e.g. Pinyin, Romaji)
Cons:
- Translations are literal, might not result in perfect accuracy
- Voice translations are speech synthesized, dialects will not be 100% accurate
How it works:
Downloading the Google Translate app is quick and doesn’t require you to create a user account. The interface is simple and directs you to the heart of the app’s functionality which is to translate. The home screen allows you to enter text in one language by either typing it or speaking the words out load. After you have entered in the text or spoken what you want translated, the app instantly displays the word or phrase in the desired language. The cool feature about this app is that within one tap you can have it also speak the translation out loud.
Each time you open the app it will default to the last two languages you selected. This makes it easier if you tend to go back to the same language settings. In my personal situation I am always translating things from English to Spanish or vice versa. To reverse the two languages simply tap the arrows in between the selected languages. Below the language selections there is a text box that allows you to manually type in any text phrase or word that you wish to translate. Alternatively, if you wish to speak to the app you can tap on the microphone icon to the right of the text box. Keep in mind that the app will only let you speak for approximately five seconds giving you enough time for short phrases. Text-to-speech is limited to 100 characters.
Additional highlighted features of Google Translate include a favorites option and full screen mode. The favorites option allows you to tap a star next to any phrase or word that you want to keep as a favorite for reference later. Anything you have starred will display in a list form and can be accessed by tapping the star icon. The full screen mode allows you to enlarge the screen of translated text. This is useful if you need to communicate to someone in a noisy environment. By using the full screen mode the other person can easily read what you have translated versus trying to hear you over the noise.
Conclusion:
The Google Translate app for iOS is a fantastic translation tool for various professional, personal, and travel situations. The interface is simple and runs smoothly between both text and voice translations. The response time is lightening fast and can realistically be used in day-to-day experiences that demand quick translations. If you’ve ever used Google’s desktop translation service, then the iOS app will not disappoint you. I’m truly looking forward to seeing what else the Google team has in store for this app including new features and additional language support. In the meantime check out the Google Translate app for yourself and let us know in the comments below what you think.
Google Translate is available for free in the iTunes Store. Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.Requires iOS 3.0 or later. iTunes Link
This is part of our iOS App of the Day series. We take our favorite app for iOS for each day and post it here for you to check out. Feel free to check out all of our App of the Day posts here.
