You’ll need to allow access to the phone’s microphone and camera in your phone’s Settings if you’re going to speak into your phone or use your phone’s camera for translation.If you remember to download the language you’ll need, you’ll be fine even if you don’t have wifi access while you’re traveling. For example, if you’re traveling to Germany, download the German language option. Before leaving home, download the languages you want to be able to access while traveling.I have it on my iPhone in my Travel folder, so it’s always handy when I’m away. Download the Google Translate app for your iPhone or Android phone.By using Google Translate, I learned the mustard was medium sharp (see picture below) - perfect, exactly what I wanted. For example, when I was shopping for mustard in a highly recommended shop in Germany, I couldn’t tell if the mustard was mild or spicy before I bought it. I’ve used it several times when reading informational signs or labels on a product. I’ve used it when preparing to meet someone, whom I suspected didn’t speak English fluently, in a tiny, rural Swedish town. Google Translate has come to my rescue several times. No matter the input, it will translate dozens of European, Asian, and African languages to and from English in a flash. This handy app can be used to type into, speak into, or take a picture of something.

You may have heard of it, but you may not realize how helpful it can be. I certainly have, and I’ve found the perfect solution: Google Translate. Have you ever tried to talk with someone who speaks another language, but you’re hard-pressed to come up with the correct words (that are pronounced correctly)? Or perhaps you struggled with deciphering print (street sign or label) in another language.

The google translate app