Apple’s Translate app, introduced in iOS 14, allows iPhone users to quickly translate between languages using text or voice input. With voice output, support for a dozen languages, and a full built-in dictionary, it’s an essential tool for travelers. Here is how to use it.
First, locate the “Translate” app. From the Home screen, slide your finger down the middle of your screen to open “Spotlight”. Type “translate” into the search bar that appears, then tap the “Apple Translate” icon.
If you don’t see the app in your results, you’ll need to update your phone to iOS 14 or later first.
Soon: How to quickly find an app on your iPhone or iPad
When Translate opens, you’ll see a simple interface with mostly white elements.
To translate something, first make sure you are in Translate mode by pressing the “Translate” button at the bottom of the screen.
Then you will need to choose the language pair using the two buttons at the top of the screen.
The left button sets the language you want to translate from (the source language) and the right button sets the language you want to translate into (the destination language).
When you press the source language button, a list of languages is displayed. Select the language of your choice, then press “Done”. Repeat this action with the destination language button.
After that, it’s time to input the phrase you want to translate. If you want to enter it with an onscreen keyboard, tap the “Enter Text” box on the main translation screen.
When the screen changes, enter what you want to translate using the onscreen keyboard, then press “OK”.
Otherwise, if you want to say the sentence to be translated, press the “Microphone” icon on the main translation screen.
When the screen changes, say aloud the phrase you want to translate. As you speak, Translate will recognize the words and write them on the screen.
When you’re done, you’ll see the resulting translation on the main screen, just below the phrase you’ve spoken or entered.
Then pay attention to the toolbar just below the translation results.
If you press the favorites button (which looks like a star), you can add the translation to your favorites list. You can quickly access it later by pressing the “Favorites” button at the bottom of the screen.
If you press the “Dictionary” button (which looks like a book) in the toolbar, the screen will switch to Dictionary mode. In this mode, you can tap every word in a translation to see what it means. The dictionary can also help you explore possible alternative definitions for the selected word.
And finally, if you press the play button (a triangle in a circle) in the toolbar, you can hear the translation result spoken aloud by a computer synthesized voice.
This is handy if you need to read a translation to a local resident while in a foreign country. Enjoy!
