TranslateIt
Speak · Snap · Translate
Your pocket translator for travel. Talk to anyone, read any menu or sign, paste any text — speak in 35+ languages, translate text and photos in 60+, with full on-device offline support.
Built for Travelers
Speak & Listen
Press and hold the mic. TranslateIt transcribes what you said, translates it instantly, and reads the result aloud in a natural voice. Hand your phone across the table so locals can listen, reply into the mic, and you get an instant translation back.
Snap & Read
Photograph a restaurant menu, street sign, museum label, or shop window. TranslateIt extracts the text and shows it in your language right next to the original. Works on receipts, business cards, tickets, and labels.
Type or Paste
Type a word you can't remember, paste a longer passage, or send text from any iOS app via the Share Sheet — Safari, Mail, Messages, Notes, WhatsApp. Highlight, tap Share, choose TranslateIt, done.
Offline Mode
Pre-download Apple's on-device translation packs for 8 languages (English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean). When you're on a plane or abroad without data, TranslateIt keeps working — and offline use is unlimited, with no daily cap and no quota.
60+ Languages
Voice translation covers 35+ languages where Whisper transcription is reliable — all major European and Asian, plus Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi, Tamil and more. Text and photo translation extend to 60+, adding Bengali, Telugu, Malayalam, Urdu, Swahili, Burmese, Khmer, and many others. Pick your default once; TranslateIt remembers across every feature.
System Translation App
On iOS 18.4+, set TranslateIt as your Default Translation App in Settings → Apps. Long-press selected text anywhere in iOS and translate it directly with TranslateIt — no app switching required.
How It Works
Open and Pick a Language
On first launch, pick your Default Language. That's your primary — translations target it automatically.
Speak, Snap, or Type
Press and hold the mic to record. Tap the camera to photograph a menu or sign. Or just paste text. TranslateIt auto-detects the source language.
See the Translation
The source text appears immediately. The translation lands a moment later, side-by-side. Tap to hear it spoken aloud.
Toggle Offline When You Need It
Tap the Cloud/Local switch on the Audio or Translate tab to bypass the network entirely. Apple's on-device translation and OCR handle the rest — voice, text, and photos all work offline.
How to Use TranslateIt
Everything you need to translate confidently on the road
Getting Started
1. Download and Open
Download TranslateIt from the App Store. You get a 7-day free trial of all cloud features — no account required to try.
2. Pick Your Default Language
In Profile → Default Language, choose the language you want translations to land in (typically your native language). TranslateIt uses this everywhere.
3. Grant Permissions When Asked
Allow microphone access (for voice translation), camera access (for photo translation), and speech recognition (for offline mode) when prompted.
4. (Optional) Download Offline Packs
If you're heading somewhere without reliable data, go to Profile → Offline Languages and tap Get on the pairs you'll need. Each pack is ~80–200 MB.
Voice Translation
Record & Translate
Step 1: Tap the Audio tab
Step 2: Set the "Other" language pill to whichever language the other person speaks
Step 3: Press and hold the mic, speak naturally, release
Step 4: The transcription appears immediately; the translation lands a moment later
Tip: Hand your phone across the table — locals can speak into the mic too. TranslateIt auto-detects which side just spoke.
Choose Voice Variant
In Profile → Voice, choose Female, Female 2, Male, or Male 2 — TranslateIt uses your pick for every spoken translation.
Switch to Local (Offline) Mode
Tap the Cloud / Local pill at the top of the Audio tab to bypass the network entirely. Falls back automatically when there's no connection.
Local is free — no subscription needed, no daily cap. Note that translations made in Local mode are ephemeral and are not saved to your History tab (Cloud translations are).
Translating Text & Images
Type or Paste Text
Step 1: Tap the Translate tab
Step 2: Type or paste text into the input box
Step 3: Tap "Translate"
If the source language matches your Default, TranslateIt skips the translation step and just shows the text. Tap the speaker icon next to either the original or the translation to hear it spoken aloud in that language.
Photograph a Menu, Sign, or Document
Step 1: Tap Photograph Document or Import Image
Step 2: Frame the text clearly and capture
Step 3: Tap "Translate" — the extracted text appears immediately, then the translation arrives a moment later
Tip: Tap the photo to view it full-screen with pinch-to-zoom and pan, so you can check fine details before translating.
Switch to Local (Offline) Mode
Tap the Cloud / Local pill at the top of the Translate tab to bypass the network. On-device OCR (Apple Vision) extracts text from photos, and Apple's on-device Translation framework produces the translation — both fully free, no quota, no subscription.
Local translations are ephemeral and are not saved to your History tab. Switch to Cloud if you want a permanent record synced across your devices.
Share Sheet Integration
From Safari, Mail, Notes, Messages, or any iOS app, select text → tap Share → choose TranslateIt. The text loads into the Translate tab and auto-translates to your default.
System-Wide Translation (iOS 18.4+)
Set TranslateIt as Default
Step 1: Open iOS Settings → Apps → Default Translation App
Step 2: Tap TranslateIt
From now on, long-pressing any selected text in iOS and choosing Translate opens TranslateIt's pane directly.
Your History
Browse Past Translations
The History tab shows every audio session and translation you've done while signed in. Search, replay, or delete individual entries.
Sign In to Sync Across Devices
Sign in with Apple or Google in Profile to keep your history synced across iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
Troubleshooting
Trial Ended — Cloud Disabled
Problem: "Trial ended" appears when you try to translate
Solution: Subscribe to keep using cloud features — or switch to Local mode in the Audio tab to keep translating on-device for free, unlimited.
Offline Translation Fails
Problem: "Offline translation failed" when using Local mode
Solution: Go to Profile → Offline Languages and confirm the language pair (e.g., Chinese ↔ Japanese) is installed. Tap Get if it isn't.
Speech Recognition Not Detecting
Problem: Mic captures audio but no text appears
Solution: Make sure both your Default and Other languages are in the supported offline set. iOS's on-device recognizer requires both languages to be enabled.
Removing an Offline Language Pack
Apple manages the language packs system-wide. To delete one, open iOS Settings → General → iPhone Storage → Translate and remove from there.
Need More Help?
Contact our support team at support@myphonetools.com.
Simple Pricing
Free Trial
- ✓ Full cloud audio translation
- ✓ Document OCR translation
- ✓ Searchable history
- ✓ 60+ languages (35+ voice, 60+ text and photo)
- ✓ No daily cap
Offline Mode
- ✓ On-device voice translation
- ✓ On-device OCR translation
- ✓ 8 languages (en, es, fr, de, it, zh, ja, ko)
- ✓ Unlimited use, no quota
- ✓ Works on planes & abroad
Subscriber
- ✓ Everything in the 7-day trial, ongoing
- ✓ Plus full offline mode
- ✓ Sync across iPhone & Watch
- ✓ Cancel anytime in Settings
- ✓ No account required to subscribe
Frequently Asked Questions
What languages does TranslateIt support?
Voice translation (Audio tab): 35 languages where Whisper transcription is reliable — all major European, Asian, plus Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi, Tamil, Persian, and more.
Text and photo translation (Translate tab): 68 languages — the 35 above plus Bengali, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Urdu, Gujarati, Punjabi, Swahili, Amharic, Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Uzbek, Burmese, Khmer, Lao, Mongolian, Nepali, Sinhala, Javanese, Sundanese, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Slovenian, Serbian, Macedonian, Maltese, Icelandic, Irish, Welsh, Basque, and Galician.
Offline mode (Local): 8 languages via Apple's on-device translation framework — English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean.
Does offline mode actually work without internet?
Yes. Once you've downloaded a language pair from Profile → Offline Languages, TranslateIt transcribes and translates entirely on your device using Apple's frameworks. No network round trip, no data needed. Toggle the Cloud/Local pill on the Audio tab to force it.
What does the subscription unlock?
The subscription keeps cloud features (richer translations via large models, full 60+ language support, and history sync) working after the 7-day trial ends. Offline mode is free forever — you never need a subscription for on-device translation.
Are Local mode translations saved to History?
No. Local mode runs entirely on your device with no server round trip, so translations made in Local mode aren't sent anywhere — they don't appear on the History tab and don't sync across devices. If you want a permanent searchable record, use Cloud mode. This is how we keep Local free and private: nothing leaves your phone.
How do I make TranslateIt the system Translate app?
On iOS 18.4 or later, open Settings → Apps → Default Translation App and select TranslateIt. From then on, the system Translate menu (long-press selected text) uses TranslateIt directly.
How big are the offline language packs?
Each pair is roughly 80–200 MB, and both directions install together. Apple manages the download and storage system-wide, so the same pack works in TranslateIt, Apple Translate, and any other app using the framework.
Is my data private?
Cloud translations go to our secure server for processing and aren't stored beyond the request. Offline translations never leave your device. You can use the app as a guest without an account. See our Privacy Policy for details.
Does TranslateIt work on Apple Watch?
Yes — TranslateIt includes an Apple Watch companion for quick voice translation from your wrist when you have a subscription and are signed in.
What iOS version is required?
TranslateIt requires iOS 17.0 or later. Offline mode requires iOS 18 or later, and the "Default Translation App" integration requires iOS 18.4 or later.
Translate Anywhere, in Any Language
Download TranslateIt and get speaking, snapping, and pasting in 60+ languages — free 7-day trial, no account required.
Download TranslateIt