Traveling the world is one of life’s great pleasures. However, one of life’s greatest frustrations is being misunderstood, which happens frequently when you don’t speak the local language. With a translator app, you can easily interpret foreign languages using your phone—and learn something new in the process. If you’re ready to up your communication game, download these translator apps before exploring new locales. Most are free and available on Android and iOS, so there’s no reason not to try them.
Recommended by Our Editors
Best for iOS Users
Apple offers its own free dedicated translation app, something many iOS users might not know exists. Apple Translate supports 17 languages, a smaller count than many rival apps, but it bridges the gap with rich features.
What can you do? Translate conversations. Maintain a list of frequently used words and phrases. Convert foreign text into your own using your phone’s camera. In typical Apple fashion, though, Apple Translate is only available for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
Platforms: iOS, iPadOS, watchOS
Best for AI Assistance
Translating takes a lot of thought, so developers have found ways to offload that weight onto AI-powered machines that think for us. The free DeepL uses AI to intelligently translate more than 30 languages, including non-Latin languages, parsing not just written text but photos and speech. It also proposes multiple ways to translate words and lets you know if they’re formal or informal in tone.
Language remains one of the most human elements, so leaving it up to machines may not always lead to natural results. Still, DeepL’s impressive accuracy offers invaluable assistance.
Platforms: Android, iOS
Best for Learning Languages
Quick translation is helpful in a pinch, but sometimes, you want to jump into the deep end of the pool. Duolingo is our Editors’ Choice winner for language learning apps, making it a great tool for learning an entire vocabulary, not just communicating on vacation.
Duolingo offers fantastic classes for more than 40 languages and podcasts that deepen your education. Best of all, Duolingo has a capable free version alongside the $12.99-per-month, ad-free Duplingo Super subscription, which includes progression quizzes.
Platforms: Android, iOS
Duolingo Review
Best for Android Users
After researching a trip using Google Search and planning routes with Google Maps, use the free Google Translate to understand what everything means. Google’s best products feel ubiquitous, like a default option for anything you want to do on your phone or tablet—the feature-packed Google Translate is no different.
It interprets more than 100 languages, whether you’re typing, speaking, or drawing a word. In addition, Google Translate automatically detects languages and provides real-time conversation translation. Offline support makes Google Translate even more convenient on the go should you find yourself in a remote area with little or no connectivity.
Platforms: Android, iOS
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Best for Custom Experiences
iTranslate offers quick translation services for more than 100 languages. The warm welcome screen even asks you what you expect to get from the app to better tailor the experience. Are you a student? iTranslate has your back. Professional? The app’s got you, too.
It integrates with your mobile keyboard for faster text translation, even offline. Like other services, iTranslate has text and voice translation functionality. There’s a free trial, but it only lasts one week. After that, you must pay for the $7.99-per-month iTranslate Pro subscription.
Platforms: Android, iOS
Best for Groups
Microsoft Translator is the efficient, no-nonsense productivity tool you’d expect from the company. The free app translates more than 100 languages in real time, but it’s not limited to text. It also works its magic in live group settings.
A recent update lets Microsoft Translator automatically translate an image’s text—you no longer need to select its language. You won’t find any educational features, but if you simply need to translate one language into another, Microsoft Translator is a worthy download.
Platforms: Android, iOS
Best for a More Human Touch
The free Reverso helps you tackle foreign languages with its vast dictionary, straightforward translation tools, and educational games. Themed vocabulary lessons prepare you for specific tasks like, say, a trip to France. The AI tool translates text and also provides writing advice.
Reverso Context is a unique feature that draws from an extensive library of real-world language examples to provide translations that make sense in practice, not just on paper. Acknowledging this key social aspect of how language functions, a part we often take for granted, gives Reverso a nice human touch in a category that risks becoming overly mechanical. The $9.99-per-month Reverso Premium subscription offers voice translations and the ability to translate scanned documents.
Platforms: Android, iOS
Best for Learning Spanish
SpanishDict is a free app that connects you with Spanish Dictionary’s trusted translation tools powered by AI neural machine engines. SpanishDict also teaches Spanish using daily noun quizzes, conjugation classes, example sentences, and countless videos to help you achieve proper pronunciation.
No one speaks every language perfectly, and more expansive translation apps with dozens of languages may only offer shallow learning experiences for each one. SpanishDict helps you truly master Spanish. The $12.99-per-month subscription removes ads and lets you tap a grammar cheatsheet and phrasebook.
Platforms: Android, iOS
