Translate text in a photo with Google Translate
Photos of menus, signs and short documents can be read through image translation. Results depend on legibility, so use an image without blur or cropped sentences. Keep the original picture to compare numbers…
Before you begin
Photos of menus, signs and short documents can be read through image translation. Results depend on legibility, so use an image without blur or cropped sentences. Keep the original picture to compare numbers and names after the translated text appears.
Check the source and target languages before using a translation. Short text without context can have several meanings, while names, addresses and technical terms may not need translating. Use a complete sentence where possible. Compare numbers and units with the original, and seek clarification when the result will guide an important action or could easily cause a misunderstanding.
Follow these steps
Follow this sequence in the Android app.
- Open Translate and select the source and target languages, using detection when necessary. Choose Camera to read visible writing or an image already stored on the phone.
- For a saved photograph, choose All Images and open the intended picture. For live text, hold the phone steady and capture it so the writing is not moving while you inspect it.
- Expand the result options and enable Show original text for comparison. Select a word and adjust the selection handles to restrict translation to the sentence you actually need.
- Read the translation card and inspect uncertain passages. If small or decorative lettering is difficult to recognize, take a closer photograph or type the sentence manually instead.
Check the result
Image translation can misread small, blurred or stylized text. Recheck prices, measurements and names before using the output. Copying the result only transfers the translation; it does not establish that every part of the photographed writing was recognized correctly.