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On an iPhone or iPad, try Apple Translate before paying for a separate translator. Google Translate, Microsoft Translator and DeepL offer other language pairs and workflows. Choose according to whether you need a conversation, selected text, a photograph or a downloaded language for travel.
Start with Apple Translate
Apple’s Translate app supports text and voice for its supported languages. On compatible software and devices, you can use a conversation view and camera translation. Apple also lets you select text in supported apps and choose Translate; Live Text can recognize writing in Camera or Photos.
Download the supported languages you need before going offline. Check the app’s language settings and test your intended task without a connection. Apple’s text and conversation instructions explain the available controls. Newer Live Translation features in calls, messages or AirPods can have separate hardware, language and regional requirements; they are not a feature of every iPhone or iPad.
Google Translate for additional workflows
Google Translate offers text, camera and supported speech features on iOS. Open the official app, choose the language pair and use the relevant control. The set of languages available for text is broader than the set available for every speech or offline feature.
Google’s iOS offline-download instructions describe available packs. Prepare them on Wi-Fi and test them before traveling; do not assume a downloaded text language enables every conversation mode.
Microsoft Translator for supported conversations
Microsoft Translator combines typed text, images and supported speech or conversation features. Check its current language table for your exact task. The table lists offline packs as Android-only, so this guide does not promise that the iOS app will work offline. Old descriptions of Apple Watch support or a Safari extension should not guide a current purchase or setup.
DeepL for reviewing written messages
DeepL is an option for translating copied passages and checking phrasing. Its mobile image feature also accepts photos, with source-language and legibility limits. Free use and subscription benefits differ; confirm any limit shown by the app before using it for a long document.
A simple choice by situation
- A quick phrase: try Apple Translate with a supported pair.
- A foreign menu: use Camera or Live Text and inspect the recognized writing.
- An email: translate a complete sentence with its context instead of isolated words.
- No connection: use a tested downloaded-language workflow.
- A live exchange: choose a supported conversation mode, speak in short turns and confirm names or numbers.
Install third-party apps through their official App Store listings, and distinguish a free download from a subscription or trial. Our camera translation comparison explains image setup; the Android translation guide is useful when another participant uses an Android phone.