You can finally make Google Translate the default on iPhone and iPad

How To
By published

For people who prefer Google Translate, this is big news

Google translate logo on a phone in front of a Google logo
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

If you use an iPhone or iPad and prefer to use Google Translate instead of Apple's built-in translate tool, then you're in luck, because OS-level support is here. Users with the Google Translate app installed on their iOS device can change the default translator just like they would any other default app.

Anyone with the app should head to the App Store to update to the latest version. Additionally, be sure you have iOS or iPadOS 18.4 or later installed, as changing the default translation app will only work with that version of iOS.

Download or update Google Translate

If you don't already have the app, head to the App Store to download it. If you have it, follow the procedure to update an iOS app to ensure you have the latest version.

Go to default apps

You'll need to head to the Settings app on iOS to change the default translation app (you can't do it from Google Translate's app).

First, tap Settings, then Apps, followed by default apps.

Change default translator

Once in the default apps section, tap Translation to open the screen with your installed translation apps. If you have the latest version of Google Translate installed, it'll appear on this screen with Apple's built-in translator. Tap Google Translate and you're done.

It'll be interesting to see if other translation apps make their way to iOS in the future. Having them integrated at the OS level makes them much more useful, so hopefully, we will see a bunch take advantage of iOS 18.4's new level of flexibility.

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Dave LeClair
Dave LeClair
Senior News Editor

Dave LeClair is the Senior News Editor for Tom's Guide, keeping his finger on the pulse of all things technology. He loves taking the complicated happenings in the tech world and explaining why they matter. Whether Apple is announcing the next big thing in the mobile space or a small startup advancing generative AI, Dave will apply his experience to help you figure out what's happening and why it's relevant to your life.

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