I started looking for an app to translate text from pictures and directly scan with my camera due to work. I needed a tool that would allow me to change the language of text found in graphics and pictures on the web. For example, I often browse the content of foreign hashtags related to my field on Instagram and I wanted to translate the captions found on the graphics.
To my surprise, I discovered that I was well aware of a tool that would enable me to do this beforehand. However, I was not aware of all its functions. This tool turned out to be Google Translate, which you are probably also familiar with.
Not many people know that, in addition to the standard text translation function, Google Translate allows you to change the language in pictures directly from the camera. However, this function is only available on the mobile app.
So if you are looking for this type of programme, you don’t have to anymore. Open the Google Play Store or App Store, search for the Google Translator app and install it.
Google Translate picture and camera translation app – advantages
The app for translating text from pictures and camera can come in handy in various situations. As I mentioned earlier, I use it at work. On the computer, I browse foreign pictures and graphics from Google and Instagram, and with my phone, using the app, I scan the content they contain.
The app shows me the translation in real-time. This way, I don’t even have to download the pictures and graphics to my phone, although of course, I have the option to do so too. In the Google Translate, you can upload pictures stored on your smartphone.
Using the app is certainly a huge time saver. It saves you from having to transcribe texts into Translator in your browser.
Google Translate also works well when travelling and helps you to learn foreign languages. When visiting foreign countries, you can translate the inscriptions on banners and signposts in real-time. In addition, the application can be very helpful when using the services of local restaurants in exotic countries that lack menus in English.
An app for translating text from a picture – how to use it?
Using the Google Translate app is very simple:
- To translate text ‘live’, simply launch the app, select the ‘Camera’ option in the bottom right-hand corner and then point the lens at the text.
- To translate text from a photo previously stored on the phone, use the ‘Import’ option and upload the file.
Of course, the application is far from being perfect. The translations are often not accurate, especially when dealing with a language that is not very common. However, it does give a general idea of what the author of the photo or graphic had in mind.
In addition to the function of translating text from photos and the camera, the Google Translate app allows you to transcribe speech into text, as well as to have ‘live’ conversations in different languages. It is certainly an app worth looking into.