- You can instantly translate foreign language text to English and other languages using the iPhone's Camera app in iOS 16.
- Point the camera at the text you want to translate, tap the Text Selection icon and then tap Translate.
- There are a lot of additional options in a pop-up menu when tapping the translated text.
You might keep apps like Google Translate on your iPhone for those times when you need to translate text on signs, menus, and other documents. Starting with iOS 16, though, you no longer need to rely on third-party apps. Apple has now built text translation into the Camera app, so you can point your iPhone at foreign language text and get an almost instant translation.
This feature only works on iPhones running iOS 16 and higher. If you're not sure what version of iOS you are using, check your version of iOS and update your iPhone if needed.
How to use the iPhone Camera app to translate text
1. Start the Camera app and point it at some foreign language text that you want to translate.
2. Tap the Text Selection icon at the bottom right of the camera viewfinder.
3. You should see the text you want to translate appear in the selection window. If the iPhone grabbed the wrong text, toggle the Text Selection icon, reposition the camera and try again.
4. When it has selected the text you want to translate, tap Translate.
You should see the text translated into English. For additional options, tap the translated text — a pop-up menu should appear. You have a number of options:
- Hear the foreign text read aloud. The original foreign text should appear at the top of the menu. Tap Play to hear it spoken aloud in the native language.
- Hear the translated text read aloud. The next entry in the list is the translated text. Tap the second Play button to hear it read aloud in English.
- Copy translation. Tap Copy Translation to copy the text to the clipboard. You can paste it into another app.
- Change language. You can manually select both the original and translated language by tapping Change Language.
- Add to Favorites. Tap Add to Favorites to copy this text to the Favorites tab of the Translate app.
- Open the Translate app. Tap Open in Translate to copy this text into the Translate app.
Dave Johnson Freelance Writer Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider. Read more Read lessncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyowcidnKxnpJqwqXvIqZ%2BoppVisKK5xKuYZqyilru0uMCtnA%3D%3D