One super useful option is Chrome’s ability to automatically translate foreign websites so that the language barrier does not prevent you from exploring the Web. In this article, we show you how you can translate web pages with the Google Chrome browser on your desktop as well as your mobile device.
Also read: Best Browser Add-Ons to Translate Web Pages on the Go
How to Easily Translate a Page in Chrome on Desktop
The translation feature is built in to the Chrome browser, so there is no need to install any extension or enable any flags.
1. On your computer, open the Chrome browser and go to a webpage in a foreign language.
2. In the search bar on the right you’ll notice a small Google Translate icon. Tap on it and choose the target language. (It’s your system’s default language.)
3. Alternatively, click on the three-dot menu on the right and select another language to translate the page.
4. You should now be able to read the contents of the webpage in a language that you understand.
If you wish to change the system language on your PC, follow the instructions in this guide to learn how to do so.
How to Easily Translate Any Website in Chrome for Mobile
The translation feature is available in Chrome for both Android and iOS, and the usage is the same for both. This option is active by default, so you won’t have to do anything in particular to enable it.
Just navigate to a webpage that’s in a foreign language, and Chrome will immediately ask you whether you want to translate it. The browser will recognize the source language and translate it into the target language, which is usually the one set as the phone’s default system language. If your phone is set to English. that’s what other languages will be translated to.
1. Open Google Chrome on your mobile device and navigate to a web page displaying a foreign language.
2. A translation bar will pop up at the bottom of the screen showing you the source and target languages.
3. Tap on the target language (in this case English) to start the translation.
4. The text on the website should now be in English.
Change Target Language in Android
Follow the instructions below to change your default system language in Android.
1. Open Settings on your device.
2. Scroll down until you find the “System” option toward the bottom and tap on it.
3. Select “Language & Input.”
4. Tap “Languages (country/region).”
5. Select “Add a language.”
6. Choose the new language you wish to use as your default system language. Now you will get suggestions for translation in that particular language.
Change Target Language in iOS
Follow the instructions below to change your default system language in iOS.
1. Open Settings on your device.
2. Scroll down and tap on “General.”
3. Select “Language & Region.”
4. Tap on “Other Languages …” underneath “iPhone Language.”
5. Choose your desired new language to use as your default system language. Translations will now appear in that language.
Note that now your original language and the new target language will now show as your preferred languages, with the option still there to add yet another language.
How to Change the Target Language with Ease
Alternatively, you may not wish to change the default system language. If you just require a single translation, there’s no point in making that change. Luckily, you can switch to a new target language very easily.
1. In the translation bar at the bottom of the web page, tap on the three-dot icon on the right.
2. In the menu that appears, select “More Languages.”
3. Select your target language of choice.
4. Tap on the selection again to have the website translated to the new language.
5. From the same menu, you can opt to disable the option to translate pages written in a certain source language. Alternatively, you can ensure Chrome always translates pages in that language.
How to Enable Translation for Multiple Languages
It’s also possible to switch between target languages by accessing your browser’s settings.
1. In Chrome, tap on the three-dot icon in the top-right corner.
2. Select “Settings.”
3. Scroll down and tap the “Languages” option.
4. Tap on “Add language” to add more.
5. Once you’ve added a new language, tap on the three dots to disable/enable the “Offer to translate” option.
6. Keep in mind that you need to move the language you want your translations in to the top of the list for Chrome to suggest translations in this language.
7. Additionally, if you don’t want Google Chrome to show you the translation tab every time you visit a page in a foreign language, you can disable it from here. Just toggle off the “Offer to translate pages in other languages” option at the bottom of the screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you fix it if Google Chrome translate is not working?
On desktop – try refreshing the page. If the feature is still not functional, right-click anywhere on the page and select the “Translate to [language]’ option from there.
On mobile – if the feature is not working, try turning it off following the steps described above and then back on again. Restart the browser and see if it works. If you still can’t tap on “translate,” the language might not be available for translation.
What do you do if the Google Chrome translate option is not showing?
On desktop – follow the instructions detailed in section 1. Alternatively, you can use Google to search for an article with that title. Once the search results pop up, click on the “Translate this page” option next to the desired link.
On mobile – If you can’t see the Translate bar at the bottom of the page, you can request a translation instead. While in the Chrome app on the page you want to translate, tap on the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner and tap on Translate.
Are there any good Google Chrome translation extensions I can use on desktop?
With the integration of Google Translate into Chrome for Web, it’s not really necessary to use an extension. But if for whatever reason the feature is still not working for you, or you need more than the basic translation, you can install the Google Translate extension in your desktop browser. There are also other worthy options to choose from, such as ImTranslator and Mate Translate.
Wrapping Up
Knowing how to translate web pages in Google Chrome allows you to easily check out sites written in a language that you don’t understand. If you want to learn more about how to use Google Chrome, check out how to print PDFs from the browser and how to stop Chrome notifications on Android.
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