Google or Apple Translate — which is more accurate?

When traveling and communicating in everyday life, a smartphone translator is often a lifesaver. The two most popular options — Google Translate and Apple Translate — share a common set of basic tools but differ in their capabilities.

SlashGear writes about it.

What is the difference between Google Translate and Apple Translate?

Both applications, usually built into Android or iOS, support three main modes: "Text", "Conversation", and "Camera". The first allows you to enter or dictate a phrase for one-way translation, in the "Speech" mode, two interlocutors speak each in their own language, and the application translates the lines, and the "Conversation" mode transforms the text written on the image into the selected language. Functionally, both applications cover these scenarios, but differ in the scale of language support and additional tools.

In terms of the number of functions, Google Translate has the advantage. The most noticeable is a wider language base: over 200 languages — from common ones like French or Spanish to regional ones like Venetian (Italy) or Zapotec (Mexico). Not all languages ​​are available in each mode: spoken translation covers about 70 languages, and the camera, a little over 100, but this is still significantly more than the competitor. For comparison, Apple Translate works with about 20 languages (including German, Japanese, and Ukrainian), but most of them are supported in all three modes at once.

Another advantage of Google is handwriting input: instead of typing, you can draw characters on the screen, which is convenient for languages with their own scripts (for example, Japanese or Ukrainian), but is also useful for Latin. Offline translation is also offered for 59 languages (Apple — for about 19). In addition, there is transcription: the application listens to live speech (lecture or speech) and displays the translated text in real time, which can be saved to favorites.

What does Apple Translate offer that Google does not?

Despite the more modest list of languages, Apple Translate has several convenient features. The application has a built-in dictionary: after translation, an icon appears that opens the interpretation of the word in the target language with examples of use, the dictionary also works for phrases — just highlight a separate word. Face-to-Face is available in conversation mode: the screen is divided in half, so each interlocutor sees his translation on "his" half. The most interesting thing is system integration: the iPhone translator works not only within the application. It is enough to highlight any text in any application, select "Translate" in the context menu, set the language, and, if necessary, add the result to favorites — all without opening Apple Translate.

Both tools cover the basic scenarios of translation in text, speech, and through the camera. If you focus purely on the number of features and the breadth of languages, Google Translate offers more. At the same time, Apple Translate takes advantage of iOS integration, a convenient Face-to-Face mode, and a built-in dictionary, which enhance everyday use.

As a reminder, Apple opened public access to the beta version of iOS 26, giving everyone the opportunity to try out the new look of the Liquid Glass interface and useful features before the official release. The system works stably, so there are almost no risks for everyday use.