The Best Offline Language Translator Apps for iOS – iPhone & iPad

The COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed how we travel. However, traveling will still remain to be an integral part of our lives. It will be difficult to survive on foreign soil if we have no clue about their language. Since we all carry our smartphones while traveling, a good language translator app can really come in handy in most situations. Since the international roaming plans are costlier and Wi-Fi hotspots are difficult to find in most places, it’s better to use a language translator app that also works offline on your iPhone.

Below are the best offline language translator apps available on the Apple App Store. To take advantage of the offline capabilities of these apps, it is recommended to install your preferred app and download all the required language packs before leaving home.

 

Name	Type	Rating
Apple Translate	Free	Pre-installed
Google Translate	Free	4.5 (62.3K Ratings)
iTranslate Translator	Freemium	4.7 (396.2K Ratings)
Microsoft Translator	Free	4.8 (93.7K Ratings)
Translate Now	Freemium	4.7 (107K Ratings)
Naver Papago	Free	4.5 (523 Ratings)
Yandex.Translate	Free	4.7 (1.5K Ratings)
Speak & Translate	Freemium	4.5 (244.1K Ratings)
Scan & Translate+	Freemium	4.4 (16.9K Ratings)
Voice Translator	Freemium	4.4 (59.8K Ratings)
TripLingo	Freemium	3.6 (15 Ratings)

(Ratings as of Jan. 1, 2021) (Freemium: Free with in-app purchases)

Apple Translate

Apple has finally added a built-in translate app with the newly released iOS 14. The UI of the app is very straightforward and is easy to use even for first-time users. It currently supports only 12 languages, including English, French, Chinese (Mandarin & Simplified), Spanish, and even German. Apple is likely to add support for even more languages in the coming months. The Translate app comes with a built-in dictionary and supports offline translation for all the current 12 languages.

Once the automatic detection option is enabled, the Translate app can also be used in conversation mode. It detects the language spoken and automatically translates it to the other language. At the same time, it also transcribes the original and translated text on the screen. While the app can translate voice and text, it lacks the feature to translate text from images. Tap on the star icon after the translation to save it in the favorites tab for later usage.

🟢Easy to use UI
🟢Built-in dictionary
🟢Free to use
🟢No Ads
🔴Limited languages

Google Translate

Google Translate has been there for a very long time now. As the app comes packed with several modes of translation and support for 100+ languages, it is surely the go-to translation app for many users. While it supports a maximum of 108 languages in text translation mode, the offline translation only works in 59 languages. Currently, only the text and camera translations are supported in the offline mode. With the camera translation mode, the app can recognize the text from any signboard or a menu and instantly translate it into 94 different languages.

Internet connection is needed” for using the conversation mode. Moreover, users can even scribble instead of typing to translate in the Google Translate app. As of now, it can recognize and translate handwritten text in 96 languages. With future updates, the app will be getting support for even more languages. Lastly, there is no need for logging with your Google account for using this app. The Google Translate app is available for both iPhone and iPad.

🟢100+ languages supported
🟢Instant camera translation
🟢Free to use
🟢No Ads
🔴No Voice translation in the offline mode

iTranslate Translator

iTranslate is one of the most popular translation apps available on Apple devices. It is available on the Apple App Store for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Apart from language translation, the iTranslate app also comes baked several other features like a full-fledged dictionary and AR object detection. The dictionary within this app also shows verb conjugations in different tenses. Also, the Phrasebook option includes over 240 predefined phrases for easily communicating with foreigners. There is also an option to choose between voices and dialects for voice output.

The pro features of the app include access to instant translation in the offline and conversation modes. As of now, iTranslate offers offline translation for 49 languages. Moreover, users can point the device’s camera at any text to get the live translation. The unique feature of this app is its AR (Augmented Reality) mode which detects the object and offers automatic translation. All the above-mentioned features except for the text translation are available only with the paid plan, which starts at $4.99 a month. However, the app offers a 7-day free trial with a $39.99 annual plan.

🟢Included predefined phrases
🟢Multiple voices & dialects
🔴Limited options with the free plan

Microsoft Translator

Microsoft also has its own translation app that is available for free. Just like the competition, Microsoft Translator also comes with offline translation support. While it offers online text translation in over 70 languages, 47 of them also work in offline mode. Unlike Google or Apple, the offline mode in the Microsoft Translator app only works with text translations. Also, there is no voice output for the offline translated text. The image translation works with the saved and newly captured photos.

The multi-person conversation translation is the exclusive feature of this app. With the Microsoft Translator, users can connect with up to 100 other people across multiple languages to have a conversation with real-time translation. The built-in phrasebook with the translation option and pronunciation guide is another handy feature. Along with the iPhone app, Microsoft even developed individual apps for iPad and Apple Watch.

🟢Translation for multi-person conversation
🟢Pronunciation guide
🟢Free to use
🟢No Ads
🔴No Voice translation in the offline mode

Translate Now – Translator

Translate Now app is exclusive to the Apple ecosystem. It is available for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. Along with conventional translation features, the app also comes with a translator keyboard for quickly translating text even while using other apps. Out of the 110+ languages supported by the app, 73 of them can be downloaded for offline translation. The app shows the most recently used languages at the top of the list for quickly switching from one language to another.

However, the free version of the app only works for online text translation. The phrasebook with a custom list of phrases also works offline without any issue. Apart from the offline mode, the app additionally supports voice, camera, and AR translations. Besides the online text translation, all the other features are available only with the premium subscription, which costs $9.99 per month or $69.99 per year.

🟢Available across Apple devices
🟢70+ offline languages support
🟢Keyboard integration
🔴Limited options with the free plan

Naver Papago

Papago is the translation app from South Korean internet company Naver. While the app supports a total of 13 different languages, it mainly focuses on English, Korean, Chinese (Simplified), and Japanese. It is free to use and there are no ads or in-app purchases. The offline mode in this app only works with text translation, and that too it is limited for the above mentioned four languages. Unlike many other apps, Papagao speaks out the translation results even in offline mode.

Internet connection is required for voice and image translations. The app also includes a nicely organized phrasebook for Korean, Chinese (Simplified), and Japanese languages. The word cards option also helps in learning the basics of the foreign language. Another great feature of this app is the website translate option where users can simply paste the URL of the webpage to quickly translate. Naver Papago could be the perfect app for travelers from China, South Korea, and Japan while visiting an English speaking country.

🔴Limited languages
🟢Free to use
🟢Webpage translation
🟢No Ads

Yandex.Translate

Yandex.Translate is a free to use language translation service developed by the Russian internet company Yandex. The app supports regular text translation along with voice and image translations. It can translate between 90 languages when used with an internet connection. Coming to the offline translation, the Yandex.Translate offers a total of 83 combinations of different languages. Notably, the app also supports voice and image translation while using in the offline mode.

It also comes with predictive typing support for text translations. Users can even control the speed of the words spoken and choose between different voices and dialects. While going through history or favorites, simply swipe left or right to cycle through the translations. More importantly, there are no ads or in-app purchases. Apart from the iPhone, Yandex.Translate also works on the iPad and Apple Watch as well.

🟢Offline voice translation
🟢Predictive typing
🟢Free to use
🟢No Ads

Speak & Translate – Translator

Speak & Translate – Translator is another iOS-exclusive translation app. With internet connectivity, the app can be used for translating text in over 110 languages for free. Other features like voice and offline translations are part of the subscription plan. As of now, the offline translation is only limited to 10 languages — Chinese (Mandarin), English (US), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. The iCloud integration will allow users to sync the history across all the Apple devices.

It also comes with an option to choose between male and female voices and the speed of the output voice. Also, there is a limit on the maximum number of transactions per day in the free plan. The premium subscription plan of the Speak and Translate app costs $5.99 per month or $69.99 per year. Surprisingly, there is a paid version of the same app listed on the Apple App Store for a one-time fee of $19.99. The paid Speak & Translate app gives full access to its service without any additional charges.

🔴Limited options with the free plan
🟢iCloud integration
🟢Multiple voices to choose from

Scan & Translate+ Text Grabber

As the name suggests, the Scan & Translate+ is not your conventional language translating app. The app can scan signs or documents in foreign languages and gives you an instant translation. Not just translating, it will also help you with pronunciation. The app uses advanced optical character recognition (OCR) technology for accurately extracting the text. The free version of the app only supports text recognition and translation using internet connectivity.

While the app allows only five scans per day in the free plan, it has the option to view an ad to get access to five more scans. It currently supports over 70 languages. The premium plan is required for unlimited offline text recognitions and translations. While there are monthly and annual subscription plans for $6.99 and $32.99 respectively, users can also pay a one-time fee of $59.99 for a lifetime premium membership.

🔴No text translation support
🟢Accurate image recognition
🔴Limited options with the free plan

Voice Translator

The Voice Translator app is technically free to download, however, it does require a paid subscription plan after trying a few translations. If you are looking for a free language translator app, this is not for you. The developer offers weekly, monthly, and annual subscription packs starting from $4.99. While users can manually enter the text to translate, the conversation mode can detect the language and translate it to another language in real-time.

It supports over 100 languages in speech-to-speech and text-to-text modes. Besides reading out the translated text, voice translation mode also shows the transcription in both languages. Users can select between different voices and adjust the voice speed. Apart from unlimited translations in online and offline modes, the premium plans also include an extended phrasebook. The app can also detect the objects and translate text from photos in the AR mode.

🔴Subscription needed for all features
🟢Auto-detect languages
🟢Object detection in AR mode

TripLingo

Triplingo not only helps in translating the local language for travelers but also offers knowledge about their culture. The free version of the app includes a voice translator that needs an active internet connection. The pro version of the app, which starts at $19.99 per month, includes a $3 call credit, one free call to a live translator, audio lessons, and more. Also, the professionally curated audio lessons along with the quiz mode should help you in at least learning the basics of the local languages while traveling.

Users also get unlimited access to the voice and image translator with support for 42 different languages. The app also comes with a 10,000-word offline dictionary and over 2,000 phrases in different slangs available for 13 languages. There is even a built-in tip calculator & currency converter. The app can be used for making international calls through Wi-Fi in over 100 countries.

🔴No offline translator with the free plan
🟢Curated audio lessons
🟢Phrases in different slangs
🔴Sign-in required

SayHi Translate (Bonus)

SayHi Translate, Amazon’s cloud-based translation app, is one of the most advanced language translation apps available in the Apple App Store. As of now, the app lacks the offline mode and needs an active internet connection. Moreover, the device can only do text and voice translations. There is no image translation or any other fancy features.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) For Offline Translator Apps

What is the best offline translator app for iPhone & iPad?

Almost all the popular translator apps come with offline mode. While many of these apps offer the offline mode only with their premium plan, there are quite a few decent apps that offer offline translation for free. Google Translate provides translation for 59 languages without an internet connection. Please note that the language pack needs to be downloaded first to use later in offline mode.

What is the best offline dictionary app for iPhone & iPad?

The iTranslate app is the best offline dictionary app for the iPhone and iPad as it comes loaded with a full-fledged dictionary. Users can learn the synonyms and different meanings of any given word. With the pro plan, the app also offers verb conjugations in different tenses.

What is the best free translation app for iPhone & iPad?

With no ads and in-app purchases, Google Translate and Microsoft Translator can be considered as the best free translation apps for the iPhone and iPad. Additionally, Microsoft Translator is also available for the Apple Watch. Both these apps also support around 50 languages for offline usage. There are also image and voice translation options on both the apps.

What is the best voice translator app for iPhone & iPad?

Amazon’s SayHi Translate has the best voice translation technology, but it requires an active internet connection to work. Even though Apple’s Translate app supports limited languages, its voice translation works offline for all 11 languages. While the app comes pre-installed with the latest iOS 14, users need to first download the language pack to use offline.

What is the best translation app for traveling?

TripLingo is the best translation app for travelers across the world. Apart from the voice translator, the app also includes several travel-related tools like currency converter, tip calculator, Wi-Fi dialer, and more. Users can also download a country-specific pack before leaving home to have offline access to the 10,000-word dictionary and key phrases.

What is the best handwriting recognition app for iPhone & iPad?

Currently, Google Translate is the only translation app – available for iPhone and iPad – to include a handwriting option. It can recognize handwritten text in 96 different languages. Though the app supports offline text translation, handwriting recognition needs an active internet connection to work.

How to convert handwriting to text on iPhone & iPad?

Users can convert the handwriting to text using the Google Translate app. It is available for free on the Apple App Store and works perfectly on the iPhone and iPad. To convert the text, open the Google Translate app and tap on the pen icon. Now, scribble on the screen and the app will recognize your handwriting and converts it into text. Users can write in any of the 96 different languages and convert it to other languages instantly.