14 DAY TRIAL // Google Translate is a powerful translation tool which helps you makes sense of text for which you’d normally had to bring in a translator or somebody who had command over language at some level.
The app already lets you use the camera in order to snap an image of a text and get the translation, but this week Google has updated their app in a way that will greatly impact travelers' experience.
Let me explain. Some time ago I went to Serbia, and as you might know, the country uses the Russian Cyrillic alphabet which is fundamentally different from the Latin one. So it was extremely complicated to make my way around the cities, especially since street signs weren't translated.
Google Translate for iOS and Android gets new features
Google takes care of issues like this with its latest update for Android and iOS. With the latest version installed on your phone, you’ll be able to go about town and snap a picture of text you don’t understand and get the translation instantly.
You are having dinner in a French restaurant in the countryside, but the menu is all in French? No problem, pull out your phone and take snapshots of the dishes and you’ll immediately understand what they are.
The neat part is that you don’t even need to have an Internet and data connection on your phone, just point your mobile snapper over the text you’re trying to comprehend and you’ll see the text overlaid on top of the screen.
For the time being, the app can translate from English to and from French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish, but more languages will be added soon enough.
The application now takes advantage of Word Lens, which Google purchased last year with the purpose of embedding it in its Maps setup. World Lens is the system that lets you scan a sign in a foreign language and provides you with the translation.
On top of that, the update improves the real-time conversation flow in Android. Tap the mic in order to start speaking in your language of choice. Then tap the mic again to allow Google Translate to automatically recognize the two languages in the conversation. The two parties can continue their discussion without the need to tap the mic again.
Note: For more information about this app, be sure to check out our reviews: Google Translate for iOS / Google Translate for Android.
