Google Translate

Google Translate is Google’s free translation app for Android, with more than 1 billion installs on Google Play. It translates typed text between 108 languages and adds tools for camera, photo, voice and handwriting input. The listing was updated in September 2026, and the version varies by device, which means the Play Store picks the right build for your phone.

Release notes usually say only bug fixes and improvements, so the clearest way to follow changes is through the language counts and features in the description. Those numbers differ a lot by mode, from 108 languages for typed text down to 8 for Transcribe, and offline packs, permissions and a few settings decide how well each tool works on your phone.

Why the version and Android needs vary

• Updated: September 20, 2026
• Version: varies with device
• Requires Android: varies with device
• Developer: Google LLC
• Installs: 1,000,000,000+

Google Play data as of September 26, 2026

Translation modes and language support

Typed text works across all 108 languages. Instant camera translation lets you point your phone at signs or menus and see translated text on screen in 94 languages, while taking or importing a photo gives higher quality results in 90 languages. Handwriting input, where you draw characters instead of typing, covers 96 languages.

For speech, conversation mode translates a bilingual exchange on the fly in 70 languages. Transcribe goes further by continuously translating someone speaking in near real time, but it is limited to 8 languages. The Phrasebook lets you star words and phrases for later, and signing in syncs it between the app and the desktop version. Saved phrases also make a handy review list if you are studying a language with Duolingo.

Tap to Translate is useful if you read other languages inside different apps, from news pages in Google Chrome to group chats. Once it is enabled, you copy text in any app and tap the floating Google Translate icon to see the translation without leaving what you were doing. It works with all supported languages, and you can turn it off at any time if the floating icon gets in the way.

Offline packs and storage

Offline translation works in 59 languages once you download the language files. This is valuable when traveling without mobile data, but each pack takes up space on your phone. Download only the languages you actually need, and remove packs you no longer use from the offline section of the app to recover storage.

Offline results can be less accurate than online translation, so when a connection is available the app will usually give better output. After a significant update, check that your downloaded packs are still current, since the app may ask you to update them before they work as expected again. Doing this on Wi-Fi saves mobile data.

Permissions and privacy

Google Translate may request several optional permissions: the microphone for speech translation, the camera for translating text through the lens, external storage for downloading offline data, and contacts for setting up and managing your account. The listing notes that the app can still be used if you decline them, although the related features will not work.

You can review or revoke permissions at any time from Settings, Apps, Google Translate, Permissions. Avoid pasting sensitive information such as passwords or private documents into any online translator. Tap to Translate needs permission to display over other apps, which you can switch off when you no longer use the feature.

When camera or voice translation fails

If the camera view stays blank or the microphone does nothing after an update, check the permissions first, since system cleanups can reset them. Then force stop the app, clear its cache and try again. Good lighting and a steady hand improve camera results, especially with small print or glossy surfaces.

If the Tap to Translate icon stops appearing, turn the feature off and on again in the app’s settings and confirm that display over other apps is still allowed. Battery optimization on some phones can also stop the floating icon from staying active in the background, so exempting Google Translate from it can help if the problem keeps returning.

Camera, conversation and text screens

Offline languages, cost and Transcribe limits

Which languages can I translate offline?

59 of them, once you download the offline file for each language. Offline results may differ from the online version.

Is anything in Google Translate behind a subscription?

No. The app is free to download and use, and nothing described in its Google Play listing needs a subscription.

Why is Transcribe not available for my language?

Transcribe supports only 8 languages for now, far fewer than text translation. Conversation mode covers 70 languages and may do the same job.