Translate text in any app on iPhone and iPad

You rarely need to open Mate and type. Here are the ways to translate text where it is: in WhatsApp, Instagram, Mail, Safari, a PDF, anywhere.

Translate in the selection menu (iOS 18.4 and later)

Select text, tap Translate. With Mate set as your default translator, this opens Mate. One-time setup: Set Mate as the default translator. This is the fastest route and works in nearly every app.

Share › Translate with Mate (any iOS version)

Select text, tap Share, choose Translate with Mate. The translation opens in a panel over the app. If the action is hidden, scroll to the end of the share sheet, tap Edit Actions, and add Mate to your favorites. See Translate with Mate is missing from the share sheet if it's not there at all.

Copy, then Paste and Translate

Some apps don't let you select text, only copy a whole message: chat apps in particular. Copy the message, then press and hold Mate's icon on the Home Screen and tap Paste and Translate. Mate opens with the clipboard translated.

Text you can't select or copy

Screenshots, images, videos, apps with custom text rendering: take a screenshot and open it in Mate's camera mode with Pick a photo. See Translate with the camera.

Web pages in Safari

Safari has a dedicated Mate extension with page translation and a selection button. See How to translate a website in Safari on iPhone and iPad.

Replying in another language

Type your reply in Mate, tap Copy translation, and paste it in the app. With the default translator on iOS 18.4+, you can also select what you wrote, tap Translate, and use Replace selected text.