Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Daily TipsiPhone

How to translate text in apps by using the iPhone camera and Translate app

You can translate text in apps such as Photos, Safari, Messages, Mail, supported third-party apps, and more. You can also use the iPhone camera to translate text around you.

Translate Inside the Translate App

  • Open app: Launch the built-in Translate app on your iPhone.
  • Select Camera: Tap the Camera tab at the bottom of the screen.
  • Set languages: Choose your target language at the top menu.
  • Point and view: Aim the camera at the foreign text to see a live overlay translation.
  • Pause/Capture: Tap the Shutter/Capture button to freeze the frame for easier reading.
  • Copy or Listen: Tap any translated word or phrase to copy it, add it to favorites, or hear it read aloud.

Translate Using the Native Camera App (Live Text)

  • Open Camera: Launch the standard Camera app or view an image in your Photos.
  • Detect text: Point the lens at the text until a small Text Selection icon (three lines) appears in the bottom-right corner.
  • Select text: Tap the Text Selection icon to highlight the recognized words.
  • Translate: Tap Translate from the pop-up menu options to see the text converted instantly. 

Dennis Sellers
the authorDennis Sellers
Dennis Sellers is the editor/publisher of Apple World Today. He’s been an “Apple journalist” since 1995 (starting with the first big Apple news site, MacCentral). He loves to read, run, play sports, and watch movies.

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