A new Google Assistant feature called interpreter mode will bring real-time translation features to both Android and iOS.

“Travelers already turn to the Assistant for help researching and checking into flights, finding local restaurant recommendations and more,” Google’s Lilian Rincon writes. “To give you even more help during your trip, the Assistant’s real-time translation feature, interpreter mode, is starting to roll out today on Assistant-enabled Android and iOS phones worldwide.”

According to Google, the new interpreter mode will allow users to have a back-and-forth conversation with someone speaking a foreign language. So it’s yet another step towards the Babelfish as envisioned by Douglas Adams in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

To use this feature, just say “Hey Google, be my German translator,” “Hey Google, help me speak Spanish,” or similar. Assistant will then switch into interpreter mode and you’ll see and hear the translated conversation appear at it happens. The Assistant will also provide Smart Replies when possible to speed up the conversation.

Interpreter mode works across 44 languages, Google says. You can find the complete list here.

Tagged with Google Assistant