Softonic ran a piece this week on running Google’s pocket translator model locally on a Raspberry Pi 5, and the takeaway wasn’t the Pi, it was that the underlying translation model is now small enough to fit on a device that fits in a shirt pocket. On Android, the practical version of that story is a translator that works without a signal, in airports where roaming is off, in metros with no coverage, or on trips where you’d rather not hand your phone to a paid Wi-Fi kiosk. Seven apps below cover the languages, camera translation, and speech modes you actually need.
What to look for in an offline translator
The features that separate real offline translators from ones that quietly fall back to a cloud API:
- Downloaded language packs stored on-device
- Offline camera OCR translation, not just text-to-text
- Offline speech-to-text, ideally in both directions for a conversation
- Storage footprint per language, some packs are 200 MB, some are 40 MB
- Support for the languages you actually need (not just the top 20)
If the app requires a login every launch, it isn’t really offline.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Paid tier | Offline strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Translate | Everyone’s default | Full app | No | 133 offline packs, on-device camera |
| Microsoft Translator | Conversation mode | Full app | No | 70+ language packs |
| DeepL | Highest translation quality | Limited free | DeepL Pro subscription | Some offline packs on Pro |
| iTranslate | Travel and phrasebook | Free with ads | Pro subscription | Offline packs on Pro |
| Yandex Translate | Cyrillic and Central Asian | Full app | No | 90+ offline packs |
| SayHi | Voice-first travel chats | Free tier | Optional subscription | Offline via language packs |
| Papago | Korean and East Asian | Full app | No | Offline packs for main Asian pairs |
| Lingvanex | Menu, sign, and photo translation | Free tier | Subscription unlocks all packs | Extensive offline library |
The apps
1. Google Translate, best for the default that works
Google Translate ships 133 offline language packs, and the on-device camera translation quality took a big step up when Google switched to on-device Gemini Nano for the OCR pass. Conversation mode works offline in most of the top languages. Handwriting input covers the same list.
Where it falls short: Some low-resource languages still fall back to online-only. Voice quality for text-to-speech varies by language, some Southeast Asian pairs are noticeably worse.
Pricing:
- Free: full app, no tier
Platforms: Android, iOS, web
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: Install it, download the packs for your trip, and don’t overthink it.
2. Microsoft Translator, best for real conversation mode
Microsoft Translator handles multi-person conversations where each speaker talks in their own language, and the transcript threads for every participant in real time. The app supports over 70 offline language packs and handles menu translation from the camera without a network.
Where it falls short: Offline OCR is not as sharp as Google’s. Some enterprise language packs need a Microsoft account to download.
Pricing:
- Free: full app
Platforms: Android, iOS
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: The pick when a business dinner has two languages happening at once.
3. DeepL, best for translation quality
DeepL consistently ranks highest for translation quality on European language pairs, and the mobile app has grown up over the last two years. Some offline packs are now available on DeepL Pro subscribers, and the free tier still handles clipboard translation without any friction.
Where it falls short: Language coverage is narrower than Google or Microsoft. Offline features are locked behind Pro.
Pricing:
- Free: online translation
- Paid: DeepL Pro subscription for offline packs and full document translation
Platforms: Android, iOS, web, desktop
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: Best pick if the languages you use are on the DeepL list and you care about tone.
4. iTranslate, best for a travel phrasebook
iTranslate wraps a translator around a phrasebook and voice mode that leans into travel scenarios. Offline mode is Pro-only, but the pack downloads are quick and cover the main tourist languages.
Where it falls short: Free tier is heavy on prompts to upgrade. Voice mode requires Pro to work offline.
Pricing:
- Free: text translation with ads
- Paid: iTranslate Pro subscription
Platforms: Android, iOS, wearOS
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: Worth the subscription if you travel more than three weeks a year.
5. Yandex Translate, best for Russian, Ukrainian, and Central Asian languages
Yandex Translate has the strongest coverage of Central Asian and Slavic language pairs. Cyrillic keyboard support is native, OCR camera translation runs offline, and the language pack downloads are smaller than Google’s for most pairs.
Where it falls short: Some users prefer to avoid Russian tech companies for the language pairs Google covers well. The app has occasional connectivity checks even in offline mode.
Pricing:
- Free: full app
Platforms: Android, iOS
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: Grab it for regional coverage that Google misses.
6. SayHi, best for voice-first travel chats
SayHi puts voice conversation first. Tap the microphone, speak, and the transcript with translation appears in both languages side by side. Offline packs cover the main travel languages.
Where it falls short: Text-only translation is basic compared to Google or DeepL. UI is dated.
Pricing:
- Free: full app, ads-optional
- Paid: subscription removes ads
Platforms: Android, iOS
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: For anyone who never types translations, only speaks them.
7. Papago, best for Korean and East Asian languages
Papago from Naver is the app Korean and Japanese travellers already use, and the translation quality on those pairs beats every Western competitor. Offline packs cover Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Thai to and from English.
Where it falls short: Coverage outside East Asian pairs is thinner. UI leans Korean-first.
Pricing:
- Free: full app
Platforms: Android, iOS
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: The one to have installed before any trip to Korea, Japan, or Southeast Asia.
8. Lingvanex, best for menu and sign photos
Lingvanex puts photo translation front and centre and its offline OCR handles printed menus and street signs reliably. The library covers over 100 languages, split into downloadable packs.
Where it falls short: Full offline pack access needs a subscription. Voice quality varies by language.
Pricing:
- Free: baseline app with rate-limited packs
- Paid: subscription unlocks all packs
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: For anyone who translates more photos than sentences.
How to pick the right one
- If you don’t care about specifics and just need a translator: Google Translate.
- If your conversations involve two languages at once: Microsoft Translator.
- If translation quality on French, German, or Spanish matters: DeepL.
- If you travel between countries a lot: iTranslate.
- If you need Slavic or Central Asian coverage: Yandex Translate.
- If speech is your main input: SayHi.
- If your trip includes Korea, Japan, or Southeast Asia: Papago.
- If you translate a lot of signs and menus: Lingvanex.
Skip translator apps that require a login and don’t advertise offline packs on the store page. Those are cloud-only wrappers that will fail exactly when you need them.
FAQ
Do offline translations use battery?
Yes, but less than the equivalent online request over a metered network. On-device translation runs on the same neural cores the phone uses for camera processing.
How much storage does one language pack take?
Between 40 MB and 250 MB depending on the app and the language pair. Google’s are compact, DeepL’s are on the larger side because they include more capacity per language.
Which translator has the best camera translation offline?
Google Translate in most cases. Yandex Translate handles Cyrillic scripts better. Lingvanex is a close third for printed menus and signs.
Is DeepL better than Google Translate?
For European language pairs, DeepL usually reads more naturally. For most Asian and low-resource languages, Google covers more ground and is comparable.
Can I translate voice calls in real time?
Google Translate’s Live Translate feature works on Pixel and some Samsung phones for supported calls. Microsoft Translator does live meeting translation. Real-time phone-call translation is still hardware-dependent.