The future is here! Or at least, that's what mobile translation apps bring us. Need to know what a sign or a signal says, and your only ally is a mobile phone? In that case, you can download one of these three camera translators, and let the cloud do the heavy lifting instead of typing a phrase at a time.
Looking closely at the list of the most spoken languages in the world, it becomes immediately clear that we still have to overcome many barriers, even for the simplest things. However, thanks to current software and mobile apps, we can eliminate them completely, or at least bring them down to a friendlier level.
The best camera translators for iOS and Android
These days, mobile devices and online translators form an explosive team that reduces the traditionally complex task of translating text to a tap on the screen, or even better, to a camera capture. What was once a privilege of science fiction is now within reach just by downloading an app. If you want to know which are the best camera translators, keep reading.
Google Translate
The most obvious choice first. Billions of downloads and almost eight million reviews in the Play Store speak for themselves. Google Translate's camera translation goes back to April 2014, when Google acquired the developer of the Word Lens app, and in January 2015, its features were added to the Mountain View family. If you don't want to leave the Google ecosystem, start from here. (iOS / Android)
Microsoft Translator
Fortunately, Redmond did not stay behind. Microsoft Translator is a camera translator, pronunciation guide, real-time conversation translator, phrasebook, and much more. It also has an offline mode that lets you download languages to keep translating without an internet connection. Microsoft has not hesitated to recommend its Translator for educational use, as it teaches here.
TextGrabber
Translating text in receipts and menus is normal for Google and Microsoft, and any app that tries to compete has a hard job ahead, but TextGrabber doesn't give up. It has some very interesting resources, including a stronger emphasis on its OCR capability, dynamic data extraction with link generation, and up to ten languages in offline mode.
Camera translators: In summary
What more can we add? Both Google and Microsoft should cover 99 percent of your needs, and the logical thing is to start with one of their options, but don't dismiss TextGrabber so quickly. At the end of the day, camera translations need to be good enough, and over time they will get closer to perfection. Enjoy!
