[00:00.44]As smartphones continue to get smarter,
[00:03.64]we can only expect Google Translate to stay one step ahead.
[00:09.92]Over 200 million people around the world
[00:13.52]now depend on the free application every day.
[00:18.04]And yet, many repeat users do not know about some of its most exciting features.
[00:25.12]We are here today to help change that.
[00:28.96]Let's start with your smartphone camera.
[00:32.68]By pointing the camera at an object with words on it,
[00:36.56]you can translate those words into many languages.
[00:40.96]This feature will translate the words from whatever the camera sees
[00:46.04]-- whether it is a street sign, restaurant menu, or even handwriting.
[00:52.56]Simply touch the camera button on the app
[00:55.76]and point the device at whatever you'd like.
[00:59.48]This may be one of the app's most striking features,
[01:03.08]although it usually works better with printed words than handwriting.
[01:08.52]Google Translate now also translates whatever it hears.
[01:14.04]If your electronic device has a microphone,
[01:17.60]you can talk directly into it
[01:19.91]and the program will quickly begin translating several sentences.
[01:25.96]But it does not like when a speaker stops in the middle of a thought.
[01:32.08]This feature works on both the smartphone app and the website.
[01:37.96]You can even play pre-recorded audio or video
[01:41.80]close to the microphone and Google Translate will work fairly well.
[01:46.76]To use this feature, just touch the microphone image.
[01:52.24]We reported recently on Google Pixel Buds,
[01:55.68]which also translates spoken language.
[01:59.44]If you have ever been to another country,
[02:02.44]you know how unpredictable a cellular or wireless connection can be.
[02:08.44]Google Translate now offers users the ability
[02:12.32]to download a whole language for future use offline.
[02:17.42]To activate the service, you must first download the language
[02:22.72]with a Wi-Fi or cellular connection,
[02:25.96]so it's probably best to do this before traveling.
[02:30.84]The download for each language can be about 25 or 30 megabytes in size.
[02:38.24]So look at the data plan for your device
[02:41.64]if you expect to download without Wi-Fi.
[02:46.00]To find the offline translation feature,
[02:49.20]just hit the settings image in the app.
[02:52.64]Our next feature seems like it was created just for fun.
[02:58.05]You can now write words by hand
[03:01.00]directly onto the screen of your smartphone in the Google Translate app.
[03:06.96]The app will then translate the word or expression.
[03:10.92]This feature works well, even with unclear handwriting.
[03:15.40]We tested it by writing words unclearly in a few languages.
[03:20.68]Each time, the translation was correct.
[03:24.96]Another wonderful feature is the phrasebook.
[03:28.68]You can save and reuse your most commonly searched words
[03:32.69]and expressions in the phrasebook.
[03:36.36]To do this on your smartphone or computer,
[03:39.52]simply touch the star image.
[03:43.12]On a computer, the phrasebook also lets you sort the saved terms by language
[03:49.44]¨C which is useful if you are using or learning several languages.
[03:54.76]The phrasebook can even be an excellent tool for examining sentence structure;
[04:01.60]you can use it to compare the structure of sentences in two languages.
[04:06.80]Language learners all over the world will welcome the next feature.
[04:11.88]Everyone knows how difficult it can be
[04:15.44]to understand a foreign language when it is spoken too quickly.
[04:21.04]But, did you know that Google Translate
[04:23.96]will slow down the speed of its speech at your request?
[04:28.84]Simply touch the listen image twice
[04:31.84]to hear the translation at the slower speed.
[04:36.48]You will never feel too distant from friends or family overseas with the next feature.
[04:43.40]If your smartphone uses the Android operating system, you are in luck.
[04:49.68]Google Translate will perform translations
[04:52.84]directly in WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
[04:57.04]No need to copy and paste the text from those apps into Google Translate.
[05:04.52]Finally, you can help to improve the translation quality
[05:08.96]of Google Translate for users around the world.
[05:13.40]There are two ways to do this:
[05:16.36]suggest a change for individual translations
[05:20.28]or join the Translate Community.
[05:24.64]Suggesting a change is easy:
[05:27.32]just type or paste in words or phrases
[05:30.96]on the device as you normally would.
[05:34.52]If the translation looks problematic,
[05:37.56]simply "suggest an edit" inside the translated box.
[05:43.36]The second way is to join the Translate Community.
[05:48.08]Go to translate.google.com/community
[05:53.36]and sign into your Google account.
[05:57.12]Then, you can either review the quality of phrases
[06:01.00]that have already been translated
[06:03.56]or translate words and phrases into your chosen language.
[06:09.08]I'm Alice Bryant.
[06:11.12]And I'm Jill Robbins.