Google Assistant's Real-Time Translation Interpreter Mode Now Rolling Out to All Android, iOS Users

Google announced Interpreter Mode for Google Assistant at CES 2019 in January this year. A month later, it was rolled out for select devices, including Google Home speakers, select smart speakers, and Smart Displays with Google Assistant support. Now, the real-time translation feature is arriving for Android and iOS users finally. This feature essentially allows Google Assistant to translate speech in real-time between compatible languages. The user can speak in his native or known language, and the voice assistant will then translate it in the desired language within seconds.

The Interpreter Mode feature is rolling out to Android and iOS users worldwide, and to get started, just say “Hey Google, be my German translator” or “Hey Google, help me speak Spanish” and you should see and hear the translated conversation on your phone, given that the feature has reached your device. After every translation, Google Assistant may offer Smart Replies as well, giving you suggestions that let you quickly respond without speaking.

There's a manual mode that offers more control on what's translated and it displays two mics for each language. Users can select one mic at a time and the Assistant should translate what's spoken. There's also a Keyboard mode that lets you type to translate. When no longer needed, Interpreter Mode can be switched off with another voice command, or a simple tap on the trigger button. This feature is built on top of Google Translate, which is available as a separate app as well, and has vastly improved over the years.

The feature is already working on Android phones, but if you're not seeing it immediately, it should arrive soon. To use it on iOS, download the latest Google Assistant app from the App Store. Google claims that Interpreter mode helps you translate across 44 languages.