google's translation overlay

[sirfragalot]

Hello,

A few months ago, someone showed me a way to translate an app that is currently displayed on the screen. I have the Fairphone 4 with Android 13. Long press on the FP4 power button until it vibrates then up pops a translation overlay on the screen. Since I’ve just moved to China and you need an app here just to have a pee, this facility was super useful especially as most apps for daily life do not have an English translation.

A couple of weeks ago, it suddenly stopped working and now I just get the GBOARD which is of no use whatsoever. I have automatic updates on, so perhaps some update messed it up.

All I can find online is stuff about translation using the camera or with a screenshot—nothing about overlaying the currently open app with the desired translation.

I don’t even know what this translation app/widget was called so can’t hunt in settings for something to change. I’ve fiddled with settings for Translate, Lens, etc. to no avail.

Any help from more knowledgeable users?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Dennis Jay]

Hello,

It sounds like a recent update may have changed the functionality you were using. The feature you mentioned might have been related to Live Translate, but if it's not showing, it could be due to changes in the system or app settings. Try checking your Google Play settings for recently updated apps and look specifically for updates to Google Translate or related apps. You might also want to explore third-party translation apps like "Microsoft Translator," which offer similar on-screen text translation features to fill the gap. Hope this helps!

 

[sirfragalot]

Many thanks for the response Dennis. A recent update is what I also think the culprit is. How, though, do i check google play for any updates? I can't find any list of recent updates.

 

[Dennis Jay]

Sorry，I don't know clearly.
I found a tool similar to what you described，named TapTranslate.
If you need translation for face-to-face communication, there is a tool called iTranslate.
I'm not sure if this is accurate as I haven't actually used it.

 

[sirfragalot]

I found a record of past updates but nothing jumps out at me. Microsoft translate is only for older versions of android. I did find one called instant translate that at least does a better job than others I've tried but lacks the convenience of whatever it was I had before.

Thanks for your advice.