Making a positive step toward greater user freedom, Apple has announced that it will now let users set Google Translate as the default translation app.
This integration, which is going out with today’s iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 release, is a shift from Apple’s longstanding strategy of putting its own built-in applications first.
Until now, iOS users were shackled to Apple’sTranslate app for system-wide translation needs, including cases when translations were initiated from Siri, text selection popups and the share sheet.
Now, with the new operating systems, users can go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps > Translation and select Google Translate as default. Which means that any system level translation being invoked will be directly taken over by the Google Translate app, assuming it’s already installed on the device.
A lot of people would consider this to be a win for choice and usability. Google Translate supports many more languages – 249 at present, compared to Apple Translate’s 19. What’s more, Google presents more superior functions such as live camera translation, offline translation and dialogue mode.The above-mentioned three functions are used and loved by a large number of people, especially those who travel frequently.
The integration is looked at in the context of an onslaught of regulation, MOST notably in the EU where the Digital Markets Act (DMA) has been drafted as regulation that makes huge tech giants HAVE to allow users more choice over their default apps. Although the DMA is aimed at the EU market, Apple has made the decision to adopt this everywhere.
To use the feature, users will need to make sure they have the latest version of the Google Translate app from the App Store and that their iPhone or iPad has iOS 18.4 or iPadOS 18.4 or later installed. After that, you can set Google Translate as the default language in your gadget settings, and you’re done.
This development will improve things for the user who uses most-extravagant-functions-packed translation services on the Apple device as everything will just feel like seamless and built-in from now on to communicate or consume across language barrier. It is unclear, however, if Apple will offer this degree of default app customization in other categories in the future.