Camera Translator

Camera Translator turns the phone camera into a translation tool. Aim it at a sign, a menu, a label or a printed page: the app reads the text with OCR and places the translated version right over the original, so you understand what is written without retyping anything. Photos from the gallery can be translated the same way.

A separate object mode works with things rather than words: take a picture of an item, and the app identifies it and gives its name in the language you choose. The source language is detected automatically, so there is no need to set it by hand. More than 150 languages are supported, among them English, Arabic, French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

The app is handy for travel, shopping abroad and reading instructions in an unfamiliar language. Results depend on lighting and how clearly the text is captured, so a steady shot helps. The interface is minimal: the camera view, a capture button and a language selector.