Apple has introduced a large set of new features with the next update for iPhone devices iOS 14, such as Widgets, App Library, Picture in Picture, Sound Recognition, and Private Address feature, along with other minor improvements that have been reviewed in a previous post. As the new update is still in development, we have reviewed the new features through the developer beta version, which you can also access by following the steps outlined in the previous post.
One of the most important new additions to iOS 14 is the Apple Translate app, which allows you to quickly translate text or voice commands, save recent translations for quick access, and of course, translate without the need for internet connection. Among other features that make it capable of competing with Google Translate, which is the go-to translation option for most people.
At the time of writing these lines, the new app supports translation to and from 11 different languages including English, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, German, French, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, and finally our Arabic language. Initially, it’s impressive to support this number of languages in the first beta version of the app. Moreover, you can also download these languages to your iPhone for offline translation. It also comes with a built-in glossary to define new words and provide examples for clarification.
Although Apple Translate app focuses more on translation through voice commands using speech-to-text technology, you can also input text using the keyboard as in other translation apps. You can even add translations to your favorites list for later access. However, what caught my attention in this app the most is the Conversation Mode, which makes it easy to have instant conversations with someone speaking a different language. Now that we have taken a quick look at what this translation app offers for iOS 14, it’s time to learn more about how to use it.
How to Make the Most Out of Apple Translate App on iPhone
By updating your iPhone to the new iOS 14 version and swiping through the home screen pages, you will find the new app icon under the name “Translate”. Click on it to launch the app. Now, choose the preferred languages you want to translate to/from by clicking on each language field at the top and selecting the desired language from the list. Then, make sure to click “Done” in the top left corner.
Next, enter the text you want to translate and then press the “Go” button on the keyboard. Again, you can use the keyboard to type the text or take advantage of the speech-to-text conversion feature for translation through voice commands. The translation will immediately appear below your first language (the language the text was written in). After the app translates the text, you can listen to the translation by clicking on the small “Play” button at the bottom.
Through our experience, we found that the app provides decent translation when translating from English to Arabic, or vice versa. Some translations in Arabic were not fully understandable due to inaccurate translation. For comparison, the same texts were translated using Google Translate, and it turns out that Apple’s new app still falls short of providing a reliable translation service – at least for now. Let’s not forget that our experience was based on the first beta version of iOS 14, so it’s not a verdict on the service’s efficiency now. The purpose of this test is just to get a general idea about the app, how to use it, and the features it contains.
If you want to translate languages without relying on an internet connection, you can easily activate the Offline Translation feature for the Apple Translate app. All you need to do is download the language packages you want to translate to/from on your iPhone. Keep in mind that offline translation may not be as accurate as online translation. While I always prefer getting more accurate translations, it’s still a very useful feature for some during travel or for those working in multicultural environments.
Start by opening the “Settings” app, then go to the “Translate” app and activate the “On-Device Mode” option as shown in the image. Next, a pop-up message will appear informing you to download languages on your phone to activate the Offline Translation feature, click on the “Open the App” button to go to the Apple Translate app, then click on the language list at the top. Scroll down to the “Available Offline Languages” section and download the required languages. Once the download is complete, you can disable Wi-Fi or cellular data connection, and you will find that the translation app still works. However, as mentioned, it may be less efficient due to the app downloading mini packages of each language to avoid consuming a large amount of storage space on the iPhone.
Another feature I noticed in the Apple Translate app is the ability to show the individual meaning of any unfamiliar word in the translated text. If you’re curious about a specific word or want to learn more about it, simply click on the word in the bottom part where the translated text is, and a new window will appear explaining the detailed meaning of the selected word, how to pronounce it, and examples related to it. It’s a nice way to learn a language.
The Conversation Mode feature is likely the best feature in the Apple Translate app, at least for me. What makes it highly effective is its ability to work seamlessly, just imagine all you have to do to activate this mode is to simply turn your phone horizontally! The screen will then be divided into two parts with each displaying the translation for each party in the conversation. You can make communication easier with real-time translation and automatic language detection feature (click on the top part in the app, scroll down in the language list, and make sure Automatic Detection option is active) so the app automatically detects the two languages for a smooth experience while each person is speaking. You can even click on the “Full-Screen” button in the bottom right corner to enlarge the translated text to fill the entire screen.
