Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

Google is bringing some Translate features into Google Maps

By

When you’re traveling in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language, getting directions to where you’re going can be a bit complicated.

Google Translate can be super-useful when it comes to having that conversation, but if you already have Google Maps open, that means you need to toggle back and forth between the two apps to successfully communicate with that guy on the street and view the map at the same time.

Recommended Videos

Starting today, Google is rolling out a feature to Google Maps that should make that whole process a bit easier.

Google is bringing Google Maps and Google Translate a little closer together by bringing part of Translate into Google Maps. Now, when you’re looking for a landmark or even your hotel, you can tap on a button within Google Maps to have the name of your destination and the address read out in the local language.

The pronunciation option will appear in the form of a small speaker icon beside the name and address of your destination.

If you need a little more help after getting that pronunciation out, you can then link directly to Translate from within Google Maps to talk to your taxi driver or the good Samaritan that’s helping you with directions.

The feature will appear whenever Google Maps detects you’re in a country where the native language isn’t the same language you have your phone set to. For instance, if your phone is set to English and you’re in Germany, the  feature will appear in maps to help you navigate around. It starts rolling out today and will slowly become available to users over the next month in over 50 languages, with more on the way.

Google has added a number of new features to Google Maps over the past few months. In August, the company launched AR walking directions, which overlays an arrow on street view maps to help ensure you pick the right street when you’re walking around a new area. Earlier this month, it also started rolling out an incognito mode for Android users that will prevent Maps from storing information about where you’re going

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Emily Price
Emily Price
Emily is a freelance writer based in San Francisco. Her book "Productivity Hacks: 500+ Easy Ways to Accomplish More at…
My Google Pixel phone turned my photos into AI nightmares
Main title image for the Outtafocus column.

Artificial intelligence is the big tech trend of the year, and it’s being pushed as a major feature in our smartphones, laptops, and creative endeavors. One such way is through AI-powered photo editing.

I’ve been experimenting with Google’s AI in Google Photos, and although I don’t want to add to the scare stories about AI being a generally very bad thing for humanity, what I’ve been finding is often truly terrifying. Join me as I show you around the menagerie of nightmarish beasts Google's obviously unhinged AI has conjured up.
What’s so bad?

Read more
The Google app on your Android phone is getting a helpful new feature
Google app on Android beta showing Notifications.

The Google app for Android phones is getting a helpful new feature to make search even better. The latest beta has a dedicated "Notifications" feed in its bottom bar. The feature was first introduced on the mobile version of Google for Android earlier this year. The app feature was first noticed by 9to5Google.

The app now includes a Notifications option at the bottom, next to Discover, Search, and Saved items. The Notifications section displays a continuous list of alerts from Google Search, weather conditions, flight information, sports scores, movies and TV shows, and more. The notifications are grouped under “Today” and “Earlier." This feature should prove handy if you miss a notification from the Google app, as it provides a more focused view than Android's system-level history.

Read more
It’s impossible to recommend a cheap Google Pixel phone
The back of the Google Pixel 8a.

Google Pixel 8a Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

I had a terrible time explaining which cheap Pixel 8 phone you should buy when I reviewed the Google Pixel 8a. I eventually settled on saying the Pixel 8a is the low-cost Pixel phone you should buy ... except for those times when it isn’t.

Read more