Android

The 5 Best Translator Apps for Android Tablets

Here are the 5 best translator apps for Android tablets you should check out before traveling to another country.

Published on

December 22, 2023

Jeremy Gan

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 SM-T290 outside

Many people dream of traveling to another country, but not speaking the local language can be problematic. Some people struggle to pick up a new tongue, but it’s not a reason to give up your vacation. As a Chinese Malaysian (or Malaysian Chinese, however you want to call it), I can speak four languages, as that is how things are here. These days, you can install the best translator app for Android or some of the other alternatives we’ll list below.

The Best Translator Apps for Android

Translator apps are becoming more advanced by the day. In the past, they used to only translate text and may have text-to-speech functionality. Nowadays, they can listen to your words and interpret them in real-time. Every app offers different languages, so you should research and download the right one before you travel.

DeepL Translate

My main criterion for the best translator app for Android is accuracy, so I believe DeepL Translate is worthy of this spot. From my experience in translating sentences, it’s usually more accurate than Google Translate. However, it doesn’t have nearly as many offered languages, only 23. Don’t worry, the team is hard at work adding more.

Besides translating text, DeepL Translate can also translate speech by using your microphone. It can also translate words in pictures captured with a camera. I like how the app stores a history of previous translations, so you don’t have to type or say the same things every time. For frequently-used phrases, you can bookmark them for later.

Like a good translation app, DeepL shows alternate translations but only for short phrases. This feature is useful if you need different contexts or are learning a new language. Though DeepL Translate doesn’t offer as many languages, I trust its accuracy and like how it’s free to use.

Read: A Beginners Guide To Using Your Android Tablet

Google Translate

Next on my list is the Google Translate app. While it’s less accurate than DeepL Translate, Google currently offers more than 100 languages in its database. If you’re offline, the list drops to 59. You’ll still be able to communicate with the locals without much issue in locations without internet access.

Some standard translation features include text-to-speech and bookmarking phrases to a phrasebook. You can use your device’s camera to translate text as well instantly, but what I like about Google Translate is you can translate handwriting in 96 languages, and I think this is perfect for Mandarin and other Chinese languages. Of course, the app can translate text on imported images.

Google Translate only offers interpretation services for eight languages in real-time, but the number of languages it supports puts it high on my list. Best of all, you can sync your phrasebook between devices. This app is free to download, as are many of Google’s services.

Speak & Translate: Translate by BK Translate

BK Translate’s app is Speak & Translate: Translate, but I’ll refer to it as BK Translate for simplicity’s sake. Unlike other apps, BK Translate doesn’t have its own database. Instead, it uses one of four: Google Translate, Yandex Translate, Baidu Translate and Microsoft Translator. It offers around 150 languages.

Among the offered translation modes are text, speech-to-text, camera, image, handwriting, and more. I appreciate how it can collapse into a bar onscreen if you need to translate text on documents and websites. Offline translation is an option if you can’t connect to the internet.

One unsettling issue with BK Translate is how old the app’s latest version is. The last time it was updated was in 2021. Otherwise, as a free app, I don’t see too many issues with BK Translate.

Microsoft Translator

Microsoft Translator offers 70 languages, but it makes up for this by packing the app with extra features. You can download languages for offline use, but that’s not all. Instead of sharing one screen for conversations, Microsoft Translator has a split-screen mode for easier typing. The app can even connect with other devices if they all have the app installed.

Standard features like voice translation, bookmarked phrases, alternative translations and camera translation are included. The app provides transliterations for languages that don’t use Latin script so you can learn how to say the new terms out loud. If you’re using a foreign-language app, Microsoft Translator can help you understand the menu.

Read: The Best Tablets For Traveling Tested

I’m glad Microsoft Translator has some accessibility features that other apps don’t have, as it can be inconvenient to retype things if more than one person wants to use the same device. The app is completely free to use and does its job well. I only want to see support for more languages, but that comes with time.

Naver Papago

Korean tech giant Naver’s translation app, Naver Papago, only works with 13 languages. However, I think it deserves a spot in this article because of its accuracy and specialization. It can handle voice and text translation online and offline, and few apps offer voice translation if you don’t connect to the internet.

The translation modes include text translation, image translation, conversation mode, handwriting, and even translating webpages. The app even shows multiple translations for additional meanings if needed. If you’re using an app, Naver Papago can still translate for you as a pop-up.

Small list of supported languages aside, Naver Papago is a great app. It offers more Asian languages like Thai, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Chinese. I highly recommend it if you’re traveling to these countries and need a free translation app.

Conclusion

Translation apps are a dime a dozen on Android, but I highly recommend only trusting the best ones if you visit a foreign country. Unless there’s a specialized app for a particular language, the ones I included here tend to satisfy most users. These apps are entirely free to use, but some offer in-app purchases. Fortunately, even without paying, you have access to some powerful features.

Sources

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