Google this week updated its Gboard app for iOS devices with a new ability to translate text into any language supported by Google Translate (via All Things How). This means that users can now send iMessages in different languages right from their keyboard, without visiting an external app.

google translate gboard
To see the translation feature, make sure that your Gboard app is updated to version 1.42.0 and then navigate to the Messages app. Open the keyboard, and then tap the globe icon in the bottom left corner to cycle to Gboard. In Gboard, the new translation feature is represented by an icon immediately to the right of the white G button in the top left corner.

From here, you can choose which language you want to translate your text into, and when you tap the translate button it will automatically be applied to the iMessage entry field so you can send it to your contact. The translation feature in Gboard first launched on Android smartphones back in 2017.

Besides translating text, in Gboard you can send GIFs, emoji, stickers, and access features like glide typing and performing a Google search. The keyboard app also connects to other Google services like YouTube, Google Maps, and Google Contacts.

Tag: Gboard

Top Rated Comments

jmh600cbr Avatar
85 months ago
this is amazing! I have been using itranslate for years but it crashes and gives horrible translations. My family lives in Russia and speaks 0 english and i speak 0 russian. I literally use this daily.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chewbaka Avatar
85 months ago
I can't think of a better way to enhance the privacy-focused iMessage than by incorporating a Google applet.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kuwxman Avatar
85 months ago
Oh, a new Google post? Let me check to see if there are ignorant posts about Google being bad. Yep. Like clockwork. It will be an amazing day when talk in a thread can actually be about the Google product or service itself instead of the nonsense above we always see.

I, for one, welcome this update. My German is a bit rusty so this is going to come in handy.

Attachment Image
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chewbaka Avatar
85 months ago
Wouldn't it be a little bit difficult to translate without knowing what you typed?
Wow. You're so clever!

Please stop pretending you don't know what I mean. Surely you see a problem in sending your texts to Google
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MisterSavage Avatar
85 months ago
this is amazing! I have been using itranslate for years but it crashes and gives horrible translations. My family lives in Russia and speaks 0 english and i speak 0 russian. I literally use this daily.
Technology amazes me. How many years ago would it have been unthinkable to do this?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
@meinertzhagen Avatar
85 months ago
Cool, but no thank you. I don't want everything I typed being sent and stored at Google for eternity.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26 on iPhone Feature

Here's When iOS 26 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: Out Now!]

Monday September 15, 2025 12:00 am PDT by
Update 10:06 a.m.: iOS 26 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Today's the day! Apple is about to release iOS 26, which will deliver the biggest redesign since iOS 7 and bring a range of new features and improvements to iPhones worldwide. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at last week's iPhone event that...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Reportedly Plans to Launch These 10 Products in 'Coming Months'

Sunday September 14, 2025 8:45 am PDT by
Apple's annual September event is now in the rearview mirror, with the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch SE 3, and AirPods Pro 3 set to launch this Friday, September 19. As always, there is more to come. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple plans to release many products in the...
apple n1 chip

Apple's New N1 Chip in iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air Has a Wi-Fi 7 Limitation

Saturday September 13, 2025 10:01 am PDT by
The latest iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air models are equipped with Apple's all-new N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread connectivity. However, the chip has a Wi-Fi 7 bandwidth limitation. According to FCC documents reviewed by MacRumors, the N1 chip in all of the new iPhone models supports up to 160 MHz channel bandwidth for Wi-Fi 7, short of the...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Didn't Pre-Order a New iPhone Yet? Here's How Long the Wait is Now

Friday September 12, 2025 6:11 am PDT by
iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air pre-orders began at 5 a.m. Pacific Time in the U.S. and many other countries today. If you have yet to place a pre-order, you might face a longer wait now, depending on your desired configuration. As of shortly after 6 a.m. Pacific Time today, nearly all iPhone 17 Pro Max configurations on Apple's online store in the U.S. are facing ...
airpods translate

AirPods Live Translation Blocked for EU Users With EU Apple Accounts

Thursday September 11, 2025 4:01 am PDT by
Apple's new Live Translation feature for AirPods will be off-limits to millions of European users when it arrives next week, with strict EU regulations likely holding back its rollout. Apple says on its feature availability webpage that "Apple Intelligence: Live Translation with AirPods" won't be available if both the user is physically in the EU and their Apple Account region is in the EU....
iphone 17 lineup

iPhone 17 Models Launch on September 19 With These New Features

Friday September 12, 2025 7:58 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 lineup and ultra-thin iPhone Air in stores on Friday, September 19, and the company has already shown off the new devices at its fall event, which ran with the the tagline "Awe dropping." The iPhone 17 series brings a host of new features and enhancements. Here's a rundown of the biggest upgrades and changes: iPhone 17 Display Changes The iPhone...
iphone air all colors

iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro Now Facing Extended Delivery Estimates

Saturday September 13, 2025 11:43 am PDT by
iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air pre-orders began on Friday in the U.S. and many other countries. iPhone 17 Pro Max delivery estimates quickly slipped beyond the Friday, September 19 launch day for those who had yet to place an order, and now the rest of the new models have started to follow suit. As of shortly after 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time today, select iPhone 17, ...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Models Are eSIM-Only in These Countries

Tuesday September 9, 2025 12:23 pm PDT by
Apple continues to phase out the physical SIM card tray on iPhones, with the latest models relying solely on eSIM technology in more countries. The new iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max support eSIMs only in these countries and regions, according to Apple: Bahrain Canada Guam Japan Kuwait Mexico Oman Qatar Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates Un...
iPhone 17 Pro Air Boxes

iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro Boxes Revealed

Sunday September 14, 2025 1:36 pm PDT by
T-Mobile President Jon Freier today shared real-world photos of Apple's boxes for the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 models, which launch on Friday. Image Credit: Jon Freier Apple has typically included iPhone box renders in its product environmental reports, but it did not do so for the latest models. However, Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program page does offer some images of the boxes, ...