Google Translate

Google Translate Just Got Even Better for Travelers

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STACEY LEASCA

Traveling certainly comes with plenty of perks — like meeting new people, gaining new perspectives, and eating lots of new delicious foods. But, one of the most frustrating parts of adventuring around the globe may just be our attempts to translate everything. From road signs, dinner menus, and subway maps, translating your every move can be a discouraging and lengthy experience. But, have no fear, Google Translate is here.


Google Translate announced an update to its camera translations feature on Thursday that will allow it to work with new languages to help you understand everything no matter where in the world you go.

Here’s how it works for the uninitiated: The camera feature allows travelers to take a photo of any sign. The user then highlights the text they wish to translate and which language they would like to translate it to. The translated text quickly appears on screen.

And now, the app works with a plethora of new languages including Arabic, Thai, Vietnamese, Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marthi, Nepali, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu.

To try it out for yourself, download and open the Google Translate app, enter in the source language and the language you want to translate into. Click the camera, take a picture, highlight and translate. The app is available for both ios and Android devices.

If you happen to have a bit more time on your hands you could always choose to learn a new language instead of having to translate it. There are plenty of scientifically proven benefits to learning a new language, and thanks to apps it’s now easier than ever to learn how to say “Hello,” “Goodbye,” and “Where’s the bathroom?” in just about every language ever invented.