Lost in translation during your travels? Google has the solution!

IGO TRAVEL | 20 March 2018

Google’s ingenious language app provides instant translation from over 30 languages.

Say goodbye to flicking through endless pages of foreign language dictionaries and stumbling through awkward sentences. Word Lens is Google Translate‘s inspiring, futuristic travel app that allows you to translate text in real time. All you need is the camera on your smartphone. How awesome is that?

Although Word Lens has been around for over a year, only a handful of languages were available so only travellers to Western Europe and Russia could benefit from this innovative tool. But thanks to Google’s linguistic efforts, that’s no longer the case. The Word Lens tool is now capable of deciphering 30 different languages, including Japanese. Unlike the traditional features of the Google Translate app, Word Lens doesn’t require you to snap a photo or manually enter text.

To get a translation in the blink of an eye, simply point your smartphone’s camera lens at a street sign, menu item, food label or any other text, and the word will pop up on your screen before you can even say “sashimi”.

With it’s unique text entry options and comprehensive dictionary, Google’s Word Lens app is especially helpful for tourists visiting Japan. All too often it’s about “having to worry about taking a wrong turn on a busy Shibuya street or ordering something you wouldn’t normally eat.” With Word Lens in your pocket, just a tap away, you can relax and enjoy your vacation without worry. In addition to converting Japanese characters to English words, the app can also translate English into Japanese.

There’s multiple ways to enter text. You can point your camera at the text, snap a photo or even draw characters. Best is you don’t even need the internet!

You can see the growing list of languages supported by the state-of-the-art gadget directly on the Google Translate app. It is currently available for both iOS and Android devices.