Even when you go on vacation, the chances are that you will take your mobile with you. As well as providing you with access to the internet and a means of keeping in touch with people back home, it can also be a useful tool when you are in a foreign country. Thanks to Google Translate, you no longer have to carry around books of handy phrases to help you to converse in the native tongue – this app could be everything you need.

Available free of charge from Google Play, the app can be used to translate between dozens of languages, and this can be done in a number of ways. The first option is to simply type the word, phrase or sentence you would like to translate before selecting the relevant language. There is also a speech to text option which will enable you to dictate to your phone, but this is only available in 17 languages at the moment.

Not all translations involve conversations. You may encounter a sign that you do not understand. Rather than typing out the words in full, you can simply take a photograph of the sign, gesture over the words you want to translate and the rest will be taken care of for you. Whichever method you use to input the words you would like to be translated, you will be provided with a translation in next to no time.

If you are unsure of how to pronounce any of the words, you could simply flash your phone at the person you are trying to talk to, but you can also opt to have the translation read aloud. This is useful mid-conversation, but it can also be used at home as a learning tool. Ordinarily, an internet connection is needed to make translations, but your translation history is saved for offline access.

What's New
Minor bug fixes. Improved stability.