Google Translate's latest update: Small but useful
Google Translate has rolled out a new feature that lets you translate images on the web, announced in the Google Translate Help Forum.
The feature is already available through Google Lens but misses an important detail. Google Lens only translates online photos; however, Google Translate now lets you translate images stored locally on your PC. The new feature was announced in the help forum. Even though it is not the biggest innovation in the world, the lack of this very basic feature in the web version has been criticized by many.
"We've heard your feedback and we are thrilled to announce Image Translation is now available in Translate.google.com. The feature will be rolling out over the next few days. We'd love to hear what you think about the new experience. Give it a try and let us know what you think," said Keerthana, community manager at Google.
If you go to the Google Translate website, you will notice that there is something new at the top of the text box. In addition to texts, documents, and websites, the "Images" section will help you translate photos on your PC.
After clicking on the Images tab, it asks you to select a photo from your PC that is either in JPG, JPEG, or PNG format. No other files are accepted. As with the normal text version, select the language you want the text translated into and wait a few seconds for the tool to work.
It also lets you copy or download the translated text to your computer. The biggest shortcoming is probably its lack of drag-and-drop support, but it is expected to be added soon.
However, the mobile app is still far ahead of the website. Google focuses on bringing new and useful features to mobile, while the browser-based tool remains pretty standard. The mobile app comes with a voice-over option that allows you to listen to the translated text and also copy a certain part of it. These features are not yet available for web users.
Apart from Translate, this year's Google I/O event will take place on March 10, and more exciting announcements will be made there.
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