Google Translate on the Web Now Features Image Translation
- Kyle Chua
- Mar 9, 2023
- 2 min read
Google Translate on the web just became a lot more useful and powerful, with it now able to translate text in images.
The new function uses technology powering the augmented reality (AR) Translate tool for the Google Lens, which translates image text on your smartphone in real-time. Previously, you could only use Google Lens to translate text in images you find online. Now, however, you can upload images you have stored locally and have the tool translate those.
To use the new function, head over to Google Translate on the web, as you normally would. There, you'll find the new Images option at the top tab, in between Text and Documents. Click on it, and then select the image from your device that you want the tool to translate. Supported image formats include .jpg, .jpeg and .png. There's no drag-and-drop option, so you'll have to select the image you want the traditional way.
Once you've selected the image and it's been uploaded, you can select the language you want the text to be translated to. And you'll see the results right there on your browser. You have the option to toggle the original image, along with viewing the original and the translated text side-by-side. You can also copy or download the translated text on your device.
The "Lens translate" footer at the bottom also confirms the technology is powered by Google Lens. For those unfamiliar, Google Lens is the search engine giant's image recognition technology, designed to pick up relevant information from objects or images using visual analysis based on a neural network. It debuted as a standalone app in 2017 but was later integrated into Android's camera app.
Google said it’s rolling out the function for all users in the coming days. In case the option doesn’t appear for you yet, try waiting a day or two before trying it again.
Google Translate on the web just became a lot more useful and powerful, with it now able to translate text from images.
You'll find the new function via the new Images option at the top tab of Google Translate on the web, in between Text and Documents. Click on the option, and then select the image from your device that you want to translate.
The new function uses technology powering the augmented reality (AR) Translate tool for the Google Lens, which translates image text on your smartphone in real-time.
