The latest version also features additional language support

Nov 22, 2013 00:01 GMT  ·  By

Good news for those relying on Google Translate for Android while on the move, as the application has just received a major update that brings lots of new features and improvements.

The most important seems to be the addition of gesture support. Basically, users will be able to switch back and forth between languages with a simple gesture.

But there will be more to it, as Google has confirmed that it has added speech translation back and forth from lots of other languages to English.

“Let’s say you're taking your first vacation abroad and decide to head to Spain. The only problem? You don't speak Spanish. Now, equipped with just your Android device, you can have a fully translated back-and-forth conversation from Spanish to English with very little work. All you need to do is open up your Translate app and press the microphone icon.”

Another obvious change is the new fresh and sleek look provided by Google. The visual improvements will surely allow users to browse the application faster and easier.

According to Google, the official Translate application now offers more language support for the handwriting feature, so users will be able to directly write words in Hebrew, Greek, Javanese, and Esperanto on their device screen and have them translated on the go.

Furthermore, users can take advantage of the app's camera translation feature to take a photo of a written text with their Android device and highlight which words they wish to be translated. This feature is now available for more languages including Malay and Ukranian.

Keep in mind that the latest update for Google Translate will be rolled out over the next two days in the Google Play Store, so it might not be available in all countries at the same time.

You can now download Google Translate for Android for free via Google Play store. The application should be fully compatible with all devices running Android 2.2 and up.