Mobile translators are handy for when you are traveling. Most of these apps are free while others require in-app purchases at affordable prices. Nevertheless, the best translation app options today transcend the price; they simply have to deliver what’s required of them. The choices are extensive and can fit almost any need. But is there a single best translation app out there? The thing is, many apps are unreliable.
The pool of apps for translation today can make it tough to filter which are the best and which are unreliable. That’s bad news for anyone traveling overseas at any time. You can opt for both paid and free translation apps for iOS and Android, but there are hundreds out there. Worry no more because these are the 10 best and most reliable apps that you can use.
Inside This Article
10 Best Translation Apps for Your Smartphone
If you are looking for some of the best translation app options today, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will list down the best options there are today so you’ll never have to sing, “Maybe I got lost in translation,” again.
1. Best Translation App for Android and iOS: Google Translate
Yes, you read that right. We know it doesn’t have the best reputation, but hear us out. There are two great things about this: it’s free, and it keeps on getting updates.
In its current update, Google Translate can perform offline and can translate up to 59 languages. Additionally, since its release, Google Translate has adapted to modern tech development. One is its ability to translate real-time by simply pointing the camera to a photo with text. Google Translate then can find the translation for the text in 94 languages when online.
Furthermore, it can also translate bilingual conversations on the fly into 71 languages. Lastly, it currently supports translations to up to 108 languages.
Download Google Translate for Android
Download Google Translate for iOS
2. Apple Translate (iOS only)
Apple Translate is one of the latest functions in the iOS and ipadOS environments. It was first introduced to Apple device users on June 22, 2020, as part of the Apple iOS 14 update rollout.
Essentially, the app will allow the translation of voice and text between 11 languages. It’s pretty straightforward earning it a reputation of being an easy-to-use app. Moreover, since it’s part of an OS update rollout, it’s installed automatically. However, the app is also available for download straight out of Apple App Store for free.
Related: iOS 14: Everything You Need to Know About Apple’s Latest OS
Download Apple Translate for iOS
3. SayHi (Android and iOS)
Consider the SayHi app as a handheld interpreter that fits in your pocket. Voice translation allows the app to translate your speech out loud for free.
Moreover, in its current update, the app supports 101 languages and dialects including Japanese, French, German, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and even Hebrew. It also offers dialect support for Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, and Arabic to name a few.
According to users, its greatest strengths include simplicity, accuracy, and ease of use. Choose between male and female voices, and speed up/slow down speech so you don’t. The only drawback is that it requires an internet connection to use, so be ready with that Wi-Fi or mobile data.
4. Microsoft Translator (Android and iOS)
This translator currently supports over 70 languages with the app completely operational both online and offline. One nifty feature is its voice translator, which allows for multi-person conversations. Real-time translation is also an option.
Moreover, if you’re always on the move, the phrasebook comes in handy. It teaches important phrases that can be life-savers in different situations. For instance, you might be asking where’s the bathroom, but end up saying some offensive word you didn’t know about. The translator keeps you from doing that, saving you from a lot of trouble in the process. Lastly, the app is 100% free for download.
Download Microsoft Translator for Android
Download Microsoft Translator for iOS
5. Naver Papago (Android and iOS)
Translating Asian languages tends to be a bit iffy. Most translators get it wrong or lose the context, risking anyone getting lost in translation. It’s because translators almost always come from the US.
Enter Naver’s Papago Translate. The app solves the problem we have outlined. In its current update, Naver Papago supports 13 languages including Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), Spanish, French, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, Russian, German, and Italian.
Moreover, the app checks the boxes of basic features every texting translation app has. This might be the best translation app for Western travelers looking to visit and enjoy Asia and it’s free for download as well.
Download Naver Papago for Android
6. Waygo (iOS)
Waygo offers the fewest languages on this list. English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean are the only languages on it. The translation accuracy is top-notch, nonetheless. This limited language list also allows for complete offline operation. No need to worry about data and finding a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Additionally, if you want to eat but the menus and signs intimidate you, take a photo and the app translates the text for you. It’ll be one of your best and most streamlined dining experiences ever. Why? You can read the ingredients and understand what makes the dishes heavenly. Ordering is as simple as ever because there won’t be any guesswork. Waygo is free for download for Apple device users.
7. Talk & Translate (iOS)
For $39.99 a year, you get the usual premium subscription perks out of one of the best translation app options. That means no ads, extra language support, and all the basics.
Mobisystems’ app prides itself on being a great real-time speech translator. Speak in your native language and have it translated out loud in a jiffy. Easy. Talk & Translate offers 103 languages in over 1000 combinations. Moreover, it allows multitasking if you need to work on other apps via a split-screen.
No more mistranslations when moving from one language to another. For working with several languages at once, this is one of the best translation apps out there.
Download Talk & Translate for Android
Download Talk & Translate for iOS
8. iTranslate (Android and iOS)
For iOS and Android users, this app is among the most versatile. For $5.99 a month, there is support for over 100 languages and a website translation option. You’ll need this. Why? Local-language blogs and sites can guide you to tourist spots that not a lot of people know about.
Moreover, the app has iPhone-exclusive object recognition. It allows the app to identify items and places of interest, and give you their local names. This mobile translator can help you relate better with the locals. Nothing strokes their pride more than tourists speaking their mother tongue. If you want to socialize in a foreign country like never before, this might be the best translation app to use.
Download iTranslate for Android
9. TextGrabber (Android and iOS)
TextGrabber is another decent and recent translation app for Android and iOS. It checks the boxes one could ever need out of a translation app for mobile. TextGrabber is a powerful and useful tool when you need to immediately translate a text into a specific language — pretty handy when traveling abroad.
The beauty of this app is (1) you just point the camera to a photo of a text and the app immediately translates, and (2) the app requires no internet connection to be fully functional. While the app is 100% free, getting the premium version is a whole lot of a plus especially if you want a rather extensive best translation app for your smartphone; an in-app purchase cost would range from $1.99 to $17.99 per item.
Download TextGrabber for Android
10. Day Translations (Android and iOS)
If you are looking for a not too shabby and decent translation app for mobile, Day Translations delivers just as well. The app supports 104 languages for text translation. Additionally, it supports 33 languages for speech translation.
What’s more, is that the app is equipped with a text-to-speech translation feature. But, perhaps, the best feature of this app is the ability to contact a professional translator to produce an accurate and precise translation. This feature though is where in-app purchases would come in.
Download Day Translations for Android
Download Day Translations for iOS
Get Yourself the Best Translation App
As you can see, the best translation app to get today would need to have the scan-to-translate feature. This feature is really handy when you need to translate a text straight out of a book, poster, or epitaph written in a foreign language. The developments in AI have allowed for this feature to be incorporated in translation apps and have forever changed the game in this niche.
The 10 best translation app options we have listed are some of the reliable and decent apps you can find for Android and iOS today. We hope this article helps you out filter your options and keep you from downloading the shabby apps out there.
