How to Use the iPhone Translate App

iPhone has a built-in Translate app that converts speech and text between over 20 languages — no internet required for many language pairs.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.Open the Translate app
2.Set your language pair
3.Translate text by typing
4.Translate speech with the microphone
5.Use Conversation mode for two-person dialogue

Open the Translate app

~15s

Look for the Translate app on your Home screen — it has a blue background with a globe icon. If you cannot find it, search "Translate" in the Spotlight search (swipe down from the middle of your Home screen).

Set your language pair

~15s

Tap the language shown in the left box (usually English) and the language in the right box. For example: EnglishSpanish. The arrow between them shows the direction of translation.

Translate text by typing

~18s

Tap the text area and type a word, phrase, or sentence. The translation appears below. Tap the speaker icon next to the translation to hear it spoken aloud.

Quick Tip

Tap the "Download" icon next to a language to save it for offline use. Offline translation is helpful when traveling internationally without a data plan.

Translate speech with the microphone

~15s

Tap the blue microphone button and speak your phrase in English. The app listens, then displays and speaks the translation.

Use Conversation mode for two-person dialogue

~15s

Tap the speech bubble icon (or the two-person icon) to enter Conversation mode. Hand the phone between you and the other person. Each person speaks in their language and hears the translation in the other.

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The Translate app comes pre-installed on every iPhone running iOS 14 or later and converts spoken words and text between more than 20 languages. It does not require an internet connection when you download a language for offline use.

Text translation

: Type or paste text and select the language pair (for example, English to Spanish). The app translates instantly and can read the translation aloud so you or the other person can hear the correct pronunciation.

Voice translation

: Tap the microphone button and speak in your language. The app listens and translates to the other language automatically. This is useful for real-time conversations.

Conversation mode

: Tap the speech bubble icon to enter Conversation Mode. Both people speak into the same phone — the app detects which language is being spoken and translates each turn automatically, acting as an interpreter between you.

Auto-translate

: The app can be set to listen continuously and translate whenever someone speaks, making conversations feel more natural.

The Translate app is available in 20+ languages including Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Hindi, Russian, and more. Download languages for offline use by going to the Language section in Settings → Translate.

This is particularly useful when traveling, visiting with non-English speaking family members, or when you receive a document or message in another language.

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