If you are traveling to a foreign country then it’s essential to have a translator app for navigation, reading menus, understanding local phrases, and more. And if the translator app has offline capability then it’s even better. Since you are traveling to a new place, you can’t be sure about internet connectivity everywhere. In such a case, an offline translator app can be of immense help. So in this article, we bring you the 8 best offline translator apps for Android and iOS. You can download the language packs based on the country you are traveling and that’s all. On that note, let’s go ahead and unpack the list.
Best Offline Translator Apps for Android and iOS (November 2020)
Here are the best offline translator apps for both Android and iOS. You can click on the link below to move to the corresponding app easily. Keep in mind, to use offline functionality, you need to download the language pack beforehand. So after installing the app, make sure you have downloaded the offline resources.
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What is an Offline Translator App?
An offline translator app allows you to translate texts into your native language without having internet connectivity. Generally, apps use internet services for analyzing and translating the texts correctly. However, there are certain apps that offer you all those translation perks while being completely offline.
With an offline translator app, people can converse in two languages in real-time, detect speech and translate accordingly, transcribe the voice, detect handwriting, take pictures and translate, and do much more.
List of Top Translator Apps for Android and iOS
1. Google Translate — Overall the Best
Google Translate is undoubtedly one of the best offline translator apps for Android and iOS. You can translate around 59 languages in offline mode which includes major languages such as Chinese, German, Japanese, Italian, and more.
Note that you need to download the language pack before you can translate languages while being offline. Apart from that, it has a camera mode for instantly translating the language by simply pointing the camera to texts, menus, signage, and more.
Next, it has a conversation mode that works really well for live translation. Lastly, you get the Transcribe mode to speak and translate in real-time but it’s only available in 19 languages. Overall, I would say, Google Translate sets the bar high for a translator app and you get a seamless experience even when you are offline.
Key Features: Camera mode, Conversation mode, Transcribe Instantly, 59 languages supported, upload images and translate texts, Handwriting detection, and translation
2. Apple Translate — Best for iOS
If you are looking for the best offline translator app for iPhones then you should pick the new Apple Translate app. The app has been developed by Apple and currently supports up to 11 languages. The best part is that Apple Translate supports offline capability in all 11 languages. Sure, the language library is not as large as Google’s 59 languages, but Apple is continuously developing the app and will add new languages in the future.
As of now, it has major languages such as Chinese, French, German, Russian, and more. Other than that, you can get definitions of translated words, save translations, and have a conversation through real-time translation. In terms of feature set, it surely gives a good fight to Google Translate. For more information, you can read our comparison between Google Translate vs Apple Translate.
Key Features: Conversation mode, Transcribe Instantly, 11 languages supported, Free to use
Install: Comes preinstalled on iOS 14
3. Microsoft Translator — Improved Service
Similar to Google and Apple, Microsoft has also launched its Translator app that comes with offline support. In fact, Microsoft has improved the app so much that it now competes with Google Translate and Apple Translate. It’s one of the few offline translator apps to have support for more than 70 languages— surpassing Google’s 59 language support. That said, keep in mind, the offline support is only limited to the text mode.
Besides that, you can perform voice translation and have bilingual conversations side by side. The unique feature of Microsoft Translator is the ability to have multi-person conversations with up to 100 people. Just connect your devices with each other and converse in real-time. That’s amazing, right?
Not to mention, you have got camera and screenshot translation as well. All in all, I would say, Microsoft Translator is among the best offline translator apps and you should definitely give it a shot.
Key Features: Supports over 70 languages in offline mode, Camera translation, Conversation mode, upload image and translate
4. iTranslate Translator — Expensive But Great
iTranslate Translator is an advanced offline translator app having support for more than 100 languages. However, you can use 40 languages in the offline mode. You can easily translate texts, websites or just have conversations in voice-to-voice mode. The best part about this app is that you also get an integrated dictionary which helps you find the definition of translated words.
Not to mention, there are popular phrasebooks available in different languages so that you can easily converse with locals in a foreign country. While the app is available on both Android and iOS, it works much better on iOS. So I would say, if the new Apple Translate app seems barebone to you then iTranslate Translator is the one you should pick for your iPhone. Note that most of the features are behind the paid subscription plan.
Key Features: Supports over 40 languages in offline mode, Camera translation, Voice-to-voice mode, upload image and translate
Install: Android / iOS (Free, offers in-app purchases)
5. Translate Now — Feature-packed
Translate Now is another offline translator app for iOS that works pretty well. It supports more than 110 languages, but offline translation is limited to over 30 languages only. Just like other offline translator apps, you have got voice translation, camera translation, AR translation, and more.
AR translation lets you find the word for objects around you. The unique part about Translate Now is that it comes with a Translator keyboard that allows you to type in more than 60 languages within your favorite apps. Not to mention, you can also create your own custom phrasebook for instant access. Considering all the points, I would say Translate Now is a reliable offline translator app for iOS and you can give it a shot.
Key Features: Supports over 30 languages in offline mode, Camera translation, Conversation mode, AR translation, offline phrasebook
Install: iOS (Free, offers in-app purchases)
6. Speak and Translate — Precise Translation
As the name suggests, Speak and Translate is a translator app modeled on the real-time translation of conversations. It’s an excellent iOS app that works phenomenally when you are connected to the internet. And if you are offline then you can translate texts in 59 languages without any issue. For your information, Speak and Translate support more than 117 languages so that is great.
There is also Snap mode which is basically camera translation; language detection during conversations, iCloud integration, and much more. Having said all of that, keep in mind, the app uses Microsoft and Google’s service in the backend to translate languages correctly. So if you want a powerful offline translator app for iOS then you can rely on Speak and Translate.
Key Features: Supports over 59 languages in offline mode, Total 117 languages support, Snap mode, Conversation mode, Uses Google and Microsoft’s service
Install: iOS (Free, offers in-app purchases)
7. Naver Papago — AI Niceties
Naver Papago has gotten pretty popular in a short span of time. It’s one of the few services that take advantage of AI to translate languages in real-time. While its language support is just 13 that includes Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, et al, it offers a precise translation using a robust algorithm. The app works even when you are offline for text translation.
And unlike other apps on this list, it also works in offline mode during conversations, but it’s limited to basic expressions. Apart from that, you have got image translation, voice translation, handwriting detection, etc. In tandem, Naver Papago comes with some of the top-notch features and you simply can’t go wrong with it.
Key Features: Supports 13 languages in offline mode, Text and Camera translation, Voice translation, Uses robust AI, Handwriting detection
8. SayHi Translate — Best for Conversations
SayHi Translate is our final offline translator app on this list, but it’s pretty feature-packed and does the translation reliably well. It’s primarily made for having bilingual conversations in real-time. It supports a total of 50 languages but does not support offline mode for conversations.
Having said that, you can use the app in offline mode for clipboard translation, phrasebooks, saving translations, recording conversations, and more. What I love about this app is that it’s pretty fast at both transcribing and reading out the translated text.
Not to mention, the language detection is also on point. So to sum up, if you are looking for a translator app to have conversations in different languages then SayHi Translate is simply the best app out there.
Key Features: Supports around 50 languages, Best for bilingual conversations, Basic operations in offline mode, Speech recognition, Fast and precise
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the Best Offline Translator App?
I would definitely pick Google Translate as the best offline translator app. However, there are also other services such as Microsoft Translator and iTranslate Translator which offer a pretty good offline experience.
Q. Is There a Translator App that Doesn’t Require the Internet?
Yes, there are plenty of translator apps that don’t require the internet. We have curated the 8 best offline translator apps for both Android and iOS in our list. Some of them are Google Translate, Apple Translate and Microsoft Translator.
Q. Can I Use the Google Translate App Offline?
Yes, just tap on the hamburger menu and choose “Offline translation”. Here, download the language pack and now you can use the app in offline mode for translating the said language.
Q. Which is the Best Free Translator App for iPhone?
I would have picked iTranslate as the best offline translator app for iPhone. However, the offline feature is not free. In that case, you can use the new Apple Translate app which supports around 13 languages and it’s free to use. Just update to iOS 14 and you will get the Apple Translate app.
Q. Is iTranslate Better than Google Translate?
I think Google Translate is better than iTranslate because Google’s service is entirely free and it works with more than 59 languages in offline mode. Whereas iTranslate can only work with 40 languages in offline mode and the feature is not available to free users.
Q. Is iTranslate Free?
Yes, iTranslate is free, but only for text translation. If you want to access offline mode, conversation mode, and camera translation then you will have to subscribe to its paid plan which starts at $3 per month.
Pick the Best Offline Translator App for Android and iOS
So these are the top offline translator apps that you can use on Android and iOS. You can use Google Translate for overall the best experience or go through other alternatives mentioned above. Anyway, that is all from us. In case, you are also looking for the best note-taking apps for Android then go through our linked article. And if you have any questions then comment down below and let us know.
Abubakar Mohammed
