Google Translate is getting a bevy of new features today that will make translating on mobile easier. While Android gets a new feature that will get rid of the need to manually copy and paste into the Translate app, iOS finally gets an offline mode. Additionally, the Word Lens instant visual translation feature now works on both Simplified and Traditional Chinese.
The Android version of Google Translate has long had the ability to download language packages for offline translation when a cellular connection isn’t available. Finally on iOS, the offline mode supports 52 languages, including the just announced Filipino language pack. Google recently shrunk down the packages by 90 percent to a much smaller 25MB each. To set up of Offline Mode, tap the arrow next to the language name and download the package.
Google purchased Word Lens in 2014 and integrated the feature into Google Translate last year. It can instantly translate text by pointing your phone’s camera to menu, signs, or other printed material. It will now support translating text in Traditional and Simplified Chinese. Word Lens also has an offline mode for instant translation in 29 languages.
The iOS update is rolling out now.
