[Update: Available on Android] Google Translate Will Soon Transcribe and Translate Conversations

Mar. 18, 2020

With this feature,Google Translate will seamlessly transcribe and translate conversations in real-time. The feature is expected to be a sophisticated version of theInterpreter modeintroduced in Google Assistant last December.

It is worth noting that the feature is currently in the prototype stage and would require some finetuning before it gets launched. AsThe Vergepoints out,the app would probably require an active internet connection for the feature to workconsidering the complexity.

Also, don’t expect an option to import your audio files to get it transcribed. The feature is likely to be limited to live audio captures initially. As a workaround, Google suggests playing your old audio file on a speaker and using the app to transcribe the audio.

The feature is currently being tested in several languages, including Spanish, German and French. There is no exact timeline regarding when to expect the feature but once it is ready,it will come first on Android devices.

Whenever the feature starts rolling out, I believe a lot of foreign students would get benefitted if the feature turns out to be as promising as it sounds like. Also, it could enhance the quality of living in a foreign country by reducing the conversation gap.

Google has today started rolling out the new “Transcribe” feature inside Google Translate on Android.

As of right now the feature supports 8 languages: English, French, German, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Thai.

You can update the Google Translate app on your phone to get the feature. Google is also planning on bringing it to iOS in the near future.

Subin writes about consumer tech, software, and security. He secretly misses the headphone jack while pretending he’s better off with the wireless freedom.