Translate images

You can use your phone’s camera to translate text in the world around you with the Translate app. For example, you can translate signs or handwritten notes.

Learn which languages you can translate using your camera

Find out which Google Translate features work in each language.

Translate using your camera

For some languages, you can translate text just by pointing your phone’s camera lens. Translations of small, badly lit, or stylized text could be less accurate.

1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Translate app .
2. At the top left, tap the language shown  the language you’re translating.
3. At the top right, tap the language shown  a language you read.
4. Tap Instant translate . If it’s not there, tap Take photo .
5. Point your camera at the text you want to translate.
   • If you’ve downloaded the language and it’s available for instant translation, any text on your screen is translated.
   • To turn on instant translation, tap Toggle instant translation . You could be asked to download the language.
   • If instant translation isn’t available or you can’t download the language, tap Take photo . Then use your finger to highlight the text you want.

Notes: To pause the camera, at the bottom right, tap Pause . To resume, tap Play . For some languages, like Arabic, the icon could be different.