Everything New With Translation in iOS 15: System-Wide Support, Live Text Translation and More

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Major features like SharePlay, Safari updates, Photos changes, and more have received most of the attention when it comes to iOS 15 coverage, but there are some notable new translation-related features that are being introduced in the update.

iOS 15 Translate Feature
System-wide translation, Live Text translation, and other new options add useful new functionality to the iPhone. This guide highlights everything that's new with the Translate app and the translation features in iOS 15.

System-Wide Translation

Apple in iOS 14 introduced a new Translate app that can be used to translate conversations from one language to another, and also added translation features to Safari.

system wide translation ios 15
In iOS 15, translation capabilities are expanding further and can be used system-wide. You can select any text anywhere in iOS 15 and choose the new "Translate" option to translate it into your preferred language.

Live Text

iOS 15 adds a Live Text feature that lets your ‌iPhone‌ detect text in any image or photo on your device. You can select text in images and it works like any other text on your ‌iPhone‌.

live text translation ios 15
You can copy text, paste text, and use the built-in system-wide translation feature to translate text. So if you're in another country and need to read a sign or a menu in a foreign language, you can snap a quick picture, highlight the text, and choose the translate option to see just what it says.

Live Text can be selected and translated in ‌Photos‌, screenshots, Quick Look, Safari, and even live previews with the Camera app.

Translate App

In addition to the system-wide translation feature, Apple has made several improvements to the dedicated Translate app, which is designed for communicating with someone who speaks another language.

Conversation Updates

The Translate app's conversation feature has been updated to make it easier to get into conversation mode. Just tap on the Conversation tab in landscape or portrait view, which is located at the bottom of the Translate app.

translate conversation tab ios 15
Chat bubbles have been added to the conversation mode so that it's easier to follow along with the chat.

Auto Translate

The Translate app is now able to auto translate speech without the need to tap on the microphone button when in conversation mode.

translate ios 15 auto translate
It automatically detects when you start speaking and when you stop, so the other person can just respond without the need for interacting with the ‌iPhone‌.

Face to Face View

The conversation view has a face to face option so that each person participating in the conversation through the Translate app can see their own side of the chat.

translate face to face mode ios 15

Language Selection Improvements

Apple has made it easier to select languages through drop-down menus.

ios 15 translate app language drop down

Guide Feedback

Have questions about the updated Translate app features in iOS 15, know of a feature we left out, or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.

Related Forum: iOS 15

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Top Rated Comments

08380728 Avatar
08380728
57 months ago
Does it translate America into ‘sensible’, ie: the rest of the world?
MM/DD/YYYY
fluid ounces
horse power
pounds per square inch
Fahrenheit
miles per hour

OMG its still the 1800’s in the USA, aliens take this primitive race and bring them into 2021.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
08380728 Avatar
08380728
57 months ago
eh?
some twisted logic you go there dude,
days last 12 hours,
months 30 days,
years 365 days




Yep, water, as a reference, it freezes at 0C and boils at 100C, okay, every country in the world uses Celsius, one country does' not, must be logical right, the majority must be doing it all wrong ahaha

Attachment Image
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cyanite Avatar
cyanite
57 months ago

MM/DD is more practical, it’s like putting the hours before the minutes, you are grouping what matters most first.
It’s more practical for you. Not for me, though. In Danish we say “the thirteenth of november”, not “november thirteen”. For computers, YMD is more practical at times, but not really for humans. It’s cultural and subjective.


Meanwhile Fahrenheit is more practical than Celsius.
It’s more practical for you. Not for me, though. Either would work, but I like having round number such as 0 and 100 mean sensible things. Especially 0, since we get frost here.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lowkey Avatar
lowkey
57 months ago
Well I guess if they still dont include Polish I’ll just have to keep using google translate.
Surely if they are improving the app they can add some more languages?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klunernet Avatar
klunernet
57 months ago
But still maps can’t give directions in a language other then the phone language. (Which it could do until iOS 13). Loads of people have the phone set to English. (For Siri), but want directions in their native language. Ever hear American Siri try try to give directions for Dutch streets? It’s hilarious, but it doesn’t work very well. every other navigation tool on iOS does it. But not maps.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ForkHandles Avatar
ForkHandles
57 months ago

MM/DD is more practical, it’s like putting the hours before the minutes, you are grouping what matters most first. You don’t need to group the 21st of January with the 21st of September, but you do generally group the 21st of January with the 22nd of January. Thus:

1/21
1/22
is more practical than
21/1
21/2

Meanwhile Fahrenheit is more practical than Celsius. 0-100F is the range which most people spend most of their time living in. Meanwhile -18c to 38c (or -20 to 40 if you want to go to closest whole number) has less granularity, you can easily differentiate type of temperature in Fahrenheit (in the 70s vs in the 40s) compared to Celsius. Having the key points of water at 0 and 100 is clean mathematically but has very little practical value. How often are you doing math based on those numbers in your daily life?
“But what about science!” you say.
They use Kelvin anyway. And what’s practical for science vs. what’s practical for everyday use are not the same.

So while meters and liters and grams all make more sense than inches, cups or pounds, that doesn’t mean the metric system is superior in every way.
Us Europeans know that when we reach 0°C the roads will be icy, when the temperature is negative we might sk.
10° wear coats
20° lose costs
30° wear shorts
40° stay indoors!

The only reason I feel sorry for Americans is the fact that every measurement seems to rely heavily on fractions, quarts, eighths, sixteenths, thirty twoooths
The decimal system is sooooo much easier to engage with.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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