You Can Get Translations Directly From the Camera App in iOS 16

Apple in iOS 16 has brought its system wide translate feature to the Camera app, allowing the iPhone to be used to translate signs, packaging, and more in real time.

ios 16 translate camera
Using the translate feature is as simple as opening up the Camera app and pointing it at the text you want to translate. Tap on the text selection button in the app to select the detected text, and then choose the translate option to get an instant translation.

You can pause the view to get translations overlaid on text, and zoom in for a closer look. It's a useful feature that's perfect for signs and other wording that you might not understand when you're traveling.

The Google Translate app has long had a similar feature where you can activate a camera in the app and translate whatever text is around you, so this new iOS 16 feature basically puts the iOS Camera app on par with Google's Translate option.

Apple has also added new Quick Actions that can be used with this Camera feature and with other Live Text options across iOS. Quick Actions make data that's detected in photos, videos, and through the Camera app actionable. Flight information, shipments, foreign languages, currencies, URLs, and more can be tapped on so you can track packages, make conversions, visit URLs, and more, all from content within photos and videos.

actionable live text ios 16
iOS 16 is available to developers at the current time, with Apple planning to make a public beta available in July.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's 'CarPlay Ultra' Experience Now Available

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:07 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation ...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Apple Says These Vehicle Brands Plan to Offer All-New CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, customizable widgets, and more. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can also adjust...
iPhone 12 Made in India

Trump Tells Tim Cook to Stop Building iPhones in India

Thursday May 15, 2025 2:21 am PDT by
President Donald Trump has asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to halt the company's manufacturing expansion in India, in a potential disruption of Apple's plan to shift iPhone production away from China. "I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday," Trump said during his state visit to Qatar, according to Bloomberg. "He is building all over India." "They [India] have offered us a deal where...
apple music

Apple Music Gets New Transfer Tool to Make Switching From Spotify Easier

Wednesday May 14, 2025 5:17 pm PDT by
Apple this week introduced a new feature designed to allow prospective Apple Music users to import their saved music and playlists from third-party music services to Apple Music. The feature is either in an expanded testing phase or it has started rolling out, and it is available in Australia and New Zealand according to an Apple Support document. Signs of the transfer option first surfaced...
maxresdefault

Here's the First Real-World Look at Apple's CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:52 am PDT by
The first videos of Apple's CarPlay Ultra experience are now available, providing a never-before-seen look at the long-anticipated iPhone-linked infotainment software. British automaker Aston Martin today shared the first video of Apple's CarPlay Ultra experience in-action, followed by a detailed walk-through of the CarPlay Ultra system on Top Gear's YouTube channel, which provides the...
vision pro video recording

WSJ: Some Apple Vision Pro Buyers 'Feel Total Regret'

Friday May 16, 2025 7:43 am PDT by
Apple's Vision Pro headset has left many early adopters expressing dissatisfaction over its weight, limited use cases, and sparse software ecosystem, according to a new article from The Wall Street Journal. In the year following the device's launch, user feedback suggests that it has failed to meet expectations for comfort, software support, and social acceptance. In interviews conducted by T...

Top Rated Comments

chumps52 Avatar
39 months ago
I've not used Apple's translate much, but if it's as accurate as Google Translate (probably not, but if it's close enough at least), I might replace the latter with this...
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Corsig Avatar
39 months ago
As someone teaching themselves a new language I’m looking forward to this new feature
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
red elma Avatar
39 months ago
Awesome feature!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Spinn_ Avatar
39 months ago
Very cool feature! I can see this being very useful.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleFan1998 Avatar
39 months ago
I use the Google one a lot, hopefully this one will be comparable or better.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sakurambo-kun Avatar
39 months ago
Siri understands a small number of languages compared to Google Translate, so unless that's changed then this won't be on the same level.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)