The short answer: Under a comment, caption or bio, tap See translation; in a DM, press and hold the message and tap Translate. Instagram translates one item at a time, and only into your app’s language, so it doesn’t help you write back in theirs. Swift Translate can: it shows any comment or message in your language and turns what you type into the language you chose for them.
How to translate comments and DMs on Instagram
Instagram translates comments, captions, bios, DMs and Story text, but the steps differ. All of them translate into the language your Instagram app is set to.
Comments, captions and bios
- Open the post or the profile.
- Find the comment, caption or bio that is in another language.
- Tap See translation below the text.
Instagram then shows the text in your language. You can do this for each comment, one by one.
DMs (direct messages)
- Tap Messages to open your inbox.
- Tap a conversation.
- Press and hold the message you want to read.
- Tap Translate.
The translation appears below the original message. The steps are the same on Android, iPhone and iPad.
Story text
When the text on a Story is in another language, Instagram can show a translate link near the top of the Story, under the name of the person who posted it. Tap it to read the text in your language.
Reels with translated audio
Some creators let Meta AI translate the speech in their Reels, in their own voice. On those Reels you’ll see Translated with Meta AI. Tap it and choose the language you want to hear, or Original.
This works only when the creator turned it on, and only in a small set of languages. Instagram also says translated Reels aren’t available to everyone yet.
Choose the language Instagram translates into
Instagram translates text into its app language. So to read comments in English, set Instagram to English:
- Tap Profile at the bottom right.
- Tap Menu at the top right.
- Under Your app and media, tap Language and translations.
- Tap Set language and choose a language.
On iPhone, tapping Set language and then Continue opens the iPhone’s own language screen for Instagram. Choose the language there.
This changes the language of the whole app, not only of the translations.
“See translation” not showing? Why, and how to fix it
| Why it happens | What to do |
|---|---|
| The text is already in your app’s language, or Instagram thinks it is. | Check your language under Language and translations (steps above). |
| Your language isn’t offered as a translation. | Set Instagram to a language that is offered, such as English. |
| Instagram can’t tell which language it is. This often happens with mixed languages, slang, very short text or text that is mostly emoji. | Use Swift Translate instead (see below). |
| Your Instagram app is out of date. | Update Instagram from your app store. |
| It’s a DM. | DMs don’t use See translation. Press and hold the message and tap Translate. |
| The words are part of the photo or video. | Instagram’s translate works on typed text, such as comments, captions and bios. It doesn’t translate words inside the picture. |
What Instagram’s translate doesn’t do
If you only need to read a few comments or messages in your own language, Instagram’s own buttons are all you need. You don’t need another app for that.
It stops in four places:
- Replying in their language. Instagram translates messages that are already in the chat. Its help pages describe no way to translate your reply before you send it.
- Whole conversations. You translate one message at a time. In a long chat, that means pressing and holding every new message.
- Any language other than your app’s. Translations always go into your Instagram language. To read a comment in English while your app is in Korean, you have to switch the whole app.
- Text without the translate link. When See translation doesn’t show, Instagram gives you no other way to translate that comment.
Translate what Instagram can’t, with Swift Translate
Swift Translate handles these gaps without leaving Instagram.
On Android: the floating bubble
Swift Translate puts a small floating bubble on your screen. Drag it onto any comment, caption, bio or DM, and a translation card appears next to the text. It translates into the language you set in Swift Translate, whatever language Instagram is in, and it works whether or not Instagram shows See translation. Tap the card to see the original and the translation together.
Reply in their language
Type your reply in your own language, in a DM or in a comment. Then drag the bubble onto what you wrote. A card shows the translation in the language you chose for them. Tap Send, or Edit to change it first.
Chat mode for Instagram DMs
Turn it on in Swift Translate under Settings › Chat apps › Instagram. A chat icon then appears in your conversations. Tap it, and a panel shows the conversation in your language, with new messages translated as they arrive. Swift Translate remembers each contact’s language, can open the panel by itself for the people you choose, and has its own reply bar that turns what you type into that contact’s language. Chat mode also works in WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business.
On iPhone: Swift Translate Keyboard
Type your reply in your language and tap Translate. Your text changes to the language you chose for them, and you send it with Instagram’s own send button. To read a message, copy it and tap Paste on the keyboard: the translation appears above the keys. For comments and captions, after a one-time setup, a double tap on the back of your iPhone gives you a translated picture of the whole screen. See Swift Translate Keyboard for iPhone.
For more on reading and replying in a chat, see WhatsApp auto translate: whole chats and replies. Chat mode works the same way in Instagram.
FAQ
Does Instagram translate DMs automatically?
Instagram’s help pages describe translating one message at a time, when you ask: press and hold the message and tap Translate. To see the conversation translated in one panel, with new messages translated as they arrive, use Chat mode in Swift Translate on Android.
How do I translate Instagram comments to English?
Set Instagram’s language to English (Profile › Menu › Language and translations › Set language), then tap See translation under the comment. If you want to keep Instagram in your own language, set English as your language in Swift Translate and drag the bubble onto the comment.
Why can’t I translate a comment on Instagram?
Usually the comment is already in your app’s language, Instagram can’t tell which language it is, or your app needs an update. The table above lists each reason with its fix. If none of them helps, Swift Translate can translate the comment for you.
Can I reply to an Instagram DM in another language?
Instagram’s help pages describe no way to translate your reply before you send it. On Android, type your reply, drag Swift Translate’s bubble onto it, check the card and send. On iPhone, type it with Swift Translate Keyboard and tap Translate.
Can Instagram translate Stories and Reels?
Text on a Story, yes: when it’s in another language, a translate link can appear near the top of the Story. Reels can play translated audio, but only when the creator turned it on. Look for Translated with Meta AI on the Reel.
Can I translate Instagram DMs on a computer?
Instagram’s help pages say message translation isn’t available on computers. Use the Instagram app on your Android phone or iPhone, where you press and hold a message and tap Translate.
Related: Instagram translator · How to translate comments on TikTok · WhatsApp auto translate: whole chats and replies
