← All guides · Updated September 1, 2026 · by the Swift Translate team

How to Translate a Photo or Screenshot on Android

The short answer: open Swift Translate (free), choose the photo translator, and either point the camera at the text or import a photo or screenshot. The text is recognized and translated in about a second, in 100+ languages.

Method 1: The camera

  1. Open Swift Translate → photo translator.
  2. Point the camera at the menu, sign, or document.
  3. Snap — the text appears translated.

Best for the physical world: restaurants, transport, shops, paperwork.

Method 2: Import a photo or screenshot

  1. Open the photo translator and choose your gallery.
  2. Pick the image — a photo someone sent you, a screenshot of a story, a saved document.
  3. Read the translation.

Method 3: The bubble, on the image itself

If the image is already on your screen — inside a chat, a post, a website — you don’t need to save it. Drag the floating bubble over the visible text, and it translates like any other text on the screen.

What it reads well

Small, blurry, or heavily stylized text reduces accuracy — moving closer or zooming the image first helps.

Related: Photo translator · The full screen translator

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