Google Maps Makes Traveling Abroad Easier with New Translation Feature

Making your way around in a foreign country can sometimes be difficult, especially since you can’t expect everyone to speak and understand the same languages as you. Navigating under these circumstances can be rather anxiety-inducing, and some may do everything they can to not have to talk to locals to avoid these situations. It’s a struggle which most people can probably agree to, and now Google Maps and Google Translate have joined forces to come to grips with it.

In a new blog post, Google Maps reveals that it, together with Google Translate, has developed a feature which starting this month will be added to the Google Maps app. This new feature will allow you to look up your desired destination and make Google Maps will say it out loud in the language you want to translate it into simply by tapping the speaker button next to the place name or address. This has the ability to make simple conversations such as telling a taxi driver where to go or ask for directions in the streets a lot easier, and if you want to continue the conversation further, Google Maps will quickly direct you to the Google Translate app.

Based on the language your phone is using and the location you’re looking up, your phone will automatically suggest which language you might want it to be translated into. Just click the speaker icon, and you’ll get a real-time translation.

The feature will start rolling out this month on iOS and Android. For now, the feature supports 50 languages, but more are to be added. We're very excited about this new feature and expect it to help a lot of people when travelling to new places.

Check out our Google Maps blog for more Google Maps news and updates!