How to translate an email on iPhone or iPad

Works in Apple Mail, Gmail, Outlook, Spark and any other mail app. Two ways, depending on your iOS version.

Option 1: the Translate button (iOS 18.4 and later)

Set Mate as your default translator once (see Set Mate as the default translator on iPhone). Then:

1. Press and hold on the email text and select the part you want. Tap Select All for the whole email.
2. Tap Translate in the menu that appears.
3. Mate opens with the translation. Swipe it away to return to the email.

Option 2: the share sheet (any iOS version)

1. Select the text in the email.
2. Tap Share in the selection menu.
3. Choose Translate with Mate. If it's far down the list, scroll to the end, tap Edit Actions, and add Mate to your favorites.
4. The translation appears in a panel over the email, with pronunciation and phonetics. Tap Done to go back.

Replying in the other language

Open Mate, type your reply in your language, and use the Advanced or AI style with Tone set to formal for business mail. Copy the translation and paste it into the reply. See Formal or informal: setting the tone.

Long emails

Select All can grab signatures and quoted replies too. For a cleaner result, select only the body.

On Mac, see Translate emails in Apple Mail, Outlook and Spark.