You never know when you’ll need Google Translate to help you navigate the digital world. This is particularly true for those who live outside of North America, with Google reporting that more than 9 in 10 of the over 500 million people who use Google Translate live outside the US in places like India, Indonesia and Brazil.
In a blog post published today, Google says that it consulted with thousands of those international users in an effort to improve its Google Translate app with new features that will be rolling out over the next few days.
The largest announcement is “Tap to Translate,” which we first got a glimpse of in December. The feature, available for anyone running Android 4.2 or later, allows users to access Google Translate from any part of their smartphone without switching apps. To enable the option, users can simply copy the text they want translated and tap on the Google Translate icon that pops up.
There is also an option for responding, which allows users to write in their own language, immediately have it translated, then copy and paste to send. Tap to Translate is available offline as well, notes Google.
In case iOS users are feeling left out, offline mode within the translate app is now available for iPhone, with 52 language options including a new Filipino language pack. In addition, Word Lens, Google’s visual translation feature, is adding simplified and traditional Chinese for both iOS and Android.
Related reading: Microsoft Translate adds over 30 downloadable packages with latest update for Android
[source]Google[/source]
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