If you’re a globe trotter, or simply live in South Africa where the internet is unstable due to the endless misery that is load shedding, you’ll appreciate apps that continue to work offline. Google Translate has added 33 new languages to its offline functionality. The platform’s offline feature allows users to download a language that can also be translated when there’s no internet.
Sparking a conversation (offline)
The additional languages include languages spoken in different parts of the world, including Zulu, Sesotho, and Xhosa which are widely spoken in South Africa. Other African languages include Shona, Igbo, and Yoruba. Users can download the languages onto their device from Google Translate while connected to the internet by tapping on the download button next to their preferred language on the app.
“After you’ve downloaded a language, you could be able to translate it by looking at it through your device’s camera lens,” notes Google.
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Your saved languages will then display as downloaded on the app. There are a few caveats to deal with though. Not all languages are available for offline translation. 24 of the app’s languages don’t support offline downloads. We’re sure they will – but only later down the line (we hope).
With 33 languages now available for offline translation, you can now spark up new conversations across the world, including in aeroplanes that have no internet connection as you travel. Unless you’re in one of those bougie planes where you don’t even have to ask for a WiFi password. For a full list of supported languages that can be downloaded, check here.
Source: Google
