Translate overlay for ios apps that are in foreign languages? Chinese/Japanese etc.

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Level 1

8 points

Translate overlay for ios apps that are in foreign languages? Chinese/Japanese etc.

on android i saw apps that can translate the screen live — is there anything like that on iphone for iOS app translation?

when i was in china trying to use alibaba or local chinese maps, i had to screenshot + translate nonstop, which got old fast.

apple’s screenshot translate button helps, but it still feels like 5 clicks every few seconds.

is there a real‑time screen translator / live OCR / on‑screen text translation (maybe picture‑in‑picture overlay or subtitles) so i can use foreign apps without the constant screenshot flow? any advice?

Posted on Jan 11, 2026 3:56 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

ndrozd Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 11, 2026 4:07 AM in response to ndrozd

i ended up developing PiP Screen Translate; it’s a picture‑in‑picture overlay with live OCR, so i can keep the app open and see translations without taking screenshots constantly.

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Answer 2

SravanKrA

Level 10

431,488 points

Jan 11, 2026 4:46 AM in response to ndrozd

Google Translate – Camera Mode

Point the camera at the screen → instant translation
Surprisingly accurate for Chinese/Japanese
No screenshot needed

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Answer 3

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

122,252 points

Jan 11, 2026 10:50 AM in response to SravanKrA

SravanKrA wrote:

Google Translate – Camera Mode•

Even easier, iOS 26 Camera View:

Translate text with the camera view in the Translate app on iPhone - Apple Support

But neither of these will translate what some app is displaying on your iPhone screen, which is what ndrozd wants and what his own app is intended for.

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