5 free translation apps for iPhone and Android

Going on a trip, working with a foreign colleague on the same project or simply translating a text into a language that is unfamiliar to you, there are many reasons that can push you to use a translation application. While there are many on the mobile application stores, they sometimes offer very diverse services. Whether you need to express yourself and make yourself understood or just looking to translate an intelligible text into English, Telecharger.com has selected five free translation apps for iPhone and Android to help you cope with all of them. the situations.

1. Microsoft Translator

Capable of handling more than sixty languages, Microsoft’s translator works both online and offline. Microsoft Translator allows you to locally download dictionaries of idioms for which you might need a translation away from any Internet connection. While the app is capable of providing classic text translation, it can also translate text written on any medium on the fly. All you have to do is submit the photo of a sign, menu or newspaper to Microsoft Translator to see the simultaneous translation appear superimposed on the image. And if, however, you are not fully satisfied with the result, especially if the application has performed a literal translation, the application allows you to search for alternative translations (in English) in order to obtain a more consistent interpretation.

Microsoft Translator also excels in voice translation. If it is possible to dictate a sentence to be translated to hear its equivalent in another language, the Microsoft translator also incorporates a conversation mode giving the possibility to two interlocutors to share the screen of the device to follow the translation of their live conversation. Even better, it is possible to connect several mobile devices together to take part in a multilingual conversation, dictated by voice or typed by the keyboard, which can accommodate up to a hundred people, with simultaneous translation for each participant. To complete the picture, Microsoft Translator offers you to learn useful sentences in other languages, but also to work on your pronunciation by listening to your transposed sentences as well as by following the transliterations which will allow you to perfect your accent.

Finally, if you need to translate the same expression several times, Microsoft Translator suggests that you pin it and save it for reuse later. Note that a history logging all your requests is also provided to allow you to easily find your previous translations.

The +:
+ Works offline
+ Text translation from an image
+ Translation of multilingual conversations

The – :
– RAS

Download Microsoft Translator for Android (Free)
Download Microsoft Translator for iPhone (Free)

2. Google Translate

Google Translate is probably one of the applications capable of recognizing the greatest number of different languages. Capable of transposing text into some 103 languages, Google Translate includes an offline mode that works in 52 languages, requiring each dictionary to be downloaded beforehand. Like Microsoft Translator, Google’s application can translate text displayed on an image on the fly.

Google Translate offers two possibilities for this: the first, by directing the lens of your smartphone’s camera to a text, allows you to display a translation in real time on the screen of your device, very quickly , in about thirty languages. The second is responsible for translating with greater precision the text displayed on a still image (photo, display panel, screen, etc.) that you submit to it, in 37 languages.

Google’s application can also instantly translate bilingual conversations into 32 different languages. Rather gadget in our latitudes, the translation of handwriting can be useful in case you need to translate from Chinese for example. All the expressions and words searched in Google Translate are recorded in a lexicon that can be consulted at any time, useful for quickly finding a translation that has already been carried out.

The +:
+ Number of languages ​​supported
+ Offline features
+ Visual and handwritten translation

The – :
– RAS

Download Google Translate for Android (Free)
Download Google Translate for iPhone (Free)

3. Linguee dictionary

Presenting itself more like a dictionary than a pure translation application, the Linguee Dictionary can be used in addition to an application dedicated to translation. The application is preferred if you want to get the most relevant meaning possible from a foreign term or expression, which can be useful in editorial translation work.

Linguee Dictionary is not limited only to French-English and English-French and actually offers dozens of dictionaries in different languages. To respond precisely to user requests, the application called on more than 400 lexicographers. The application thus groups together several editorial dictionaries offering translations that are more relevant, defined, explained and put into context to appreciate their exact meaning. Linguee Dictionary also integrates a search engine making it possible to find the most relevant translation of a term or expression based, for example, on translations from external sources but once again allowing the choice to be made as soon as possible. more judicious depending on the context.

To illustrate your research, Dictionary Linguee offers example sentences in which the search term (s) are used. Finally, to help you perfect your pronunciation, the app offers, for each dictionary entry, to listen to their pronunciations recorded by professional speakers. Thanks to this, you can practice your ear to the differences between pronunciation in British English and American English.

The +:
+ Offline features
+ Relevance of translations thanks to definitions and contextualization
+ Pronunciation of the same language with different accents

The – :
– No conversational translation

Download Linguee Dictionary for Android (Free)
Download Linguee Dictionary for Android (Free)

4. SayHi translation

Extremely simple to use, Traduction SayHi poses as a real interpreter by offering to translate a bilingual conversation. To use this translator, you just have to select the idioms of two participants and press in turn on the microphone of each speaker to dictate the sentences and obtain their translation. The application immediately transcribes the entire conversation on the screen by integrating the translation. At the same time, the audio playback of the translation is started, allowing the two interlocutors to understand exactly what the other wishes to express. For each language selected in SayHi Translation, the settings allow you to activate or not the reading of your sentence by a male or female voice, but also to modify the reading speed.

If you are more comfortable with writing, SayHi Translation offers you the possibility to translate text typed on the keyboard by activating the option in the settings of each language. Thus, you will have to opt for the “type” option instead of the “speak” mode, activated by default when opening the application, if you only want to translate written text.

If SayHi Translation supports a multitude of languages, it also supports dialects of the same language. Thus, the application perfectly knows the difference between French in France and Canadian French, or British English, Australian, South African, Canadian, American, etc.

The +:
+ Number of recognized languages
+ Support for dialects
+ Immediate transcription of sentences

The – :
– Only for conversational translation

Download SayHi for Android (Free)
Download SayHi for iPhone (Free)

5.iTranslate

With 90 languages ​​recognized on the counter, iTranslate acts both as a language translator and as a dictionary. For text translation, iTranslate relies on Microsoft’s translation engine, but does not provide such convincing results as with Microsoft Translation. All the translations made by the application can be listened to since it is possible to have them spoken by a male or female voice.

If you need to switch from one language to another, iTranslate allows you to make the change fairly quickly directly from the translation window by tapping on the flag of the idiom to change. The application is useful for text translation and also includes a button for quickly pasting text to obtain immediate translation.

But iTranslate sins in its free version by too many restrictions which reserve certain functions for the Pro version. You have to go to the cash register and opt for a monthly subscription if you want to be able to take advantage of website translation, offline mode, or even voice translation.

The +:
+ Number of recognized languages
+ Several translation possibilities offered depending on relevance

The – :
– Too many functions reserved for Pro mode
– Translation not always precise

Download iTranslate for Android (Free)
Download iTranslate for iPhone (Free)