Chrome has three kinds of translation, and they handle your data differently. Translating a page sends it to Google Translate. Live Caption turns audio into captions on your device, and Live Translate sends those captions to Google to translate. Separately, websites can use Chrome’s built-in Translator API, which translates text on your computer with a model Chrome downloads. This page explains each one and where to turn it on or off.
How Chrome Translates Pages
The page translation you see in the address bar is Google Translate. On a computer, the setting is called Use Google Translate, and on Android it is Offer to send pages in other languages to Google Translate, so the page is sent to Google to be translated. Google’s guide to translating pages in Chrome covers every setting, and our guide to using Chrome Translate walks through them.
Live Caption and Live Translate
For videos, podcasts, calls and other audio, Chrome can show captions and translate them. Google’s page on captions and translations in Chrome says Live Caption audio and captions are processed locally, are never stored and never leave your device. Live Translate is different: it sends the captions to Google to translate them.
- At the top right, select More > Settings > Accessibility. On Linux, also select Captions.
- Turn Live Caption on. To caption a language other than English, select Add languages next to Manage languages. Chrome downloads the language pack.
- Turn Live Translate on, and pick a language next to Translate to.
The captions appear in a bubble you can drag around the screen.
On-Device Translation for Websites (Translator API)
Chrome includes a Translator API that websites can use to translate text on your device instead of on a server. According to Google’s developer documentation:
- It uses an expert model trained for translation, which Chrome downloads the first time a website uses the API. Language packs download on demand.
- It works in Chrome on desktop and does not work on mobile devices.
- It supports a fixed list of languages, including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Turkish.
There is nothing to turn on yourself. A website has to be built to use it. This is separate from Gemini Nano, the on-device model that powers Chrome’s other built-in AI features.
Auto-Translate Settings and Controls
- At the top right, select More > Settings.
- On the left, select Languages. You can also open
chrome://settings/languages. - Under Google Translate, turn Use Google Translate on or off.
- Use Automatically translate these languages and Never offer to translate these languages to choose when translation happens.
Comparing Chrome’s Translation Features
| Feature | What it translates | Where it runs |
|---|---|---|
| Page translation (Google Translate) | Whole pages or selected text | Sent to Google Translate |
| Live Caption | Audio to captions, no translation | On your device |
| Live Translate | Live Caption captions | Captions sent to Google |
| Translator API | Text on websites built to use it | On your device (desktop only) |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I turn on translation in Chrome?
Go to Settings > Languages and, under Google Translate, turn on Use Google Translate. For captions, turn on Live Caption and Live Translate in Settings > Accessibility.
Does Chrome translation work offline?
Page translation and Live Translate send text to Google, so they need a connection. Live Caption runs on your device. The Translator API also runs on your device once its model is downloaded, but only on websites that use it.
Can I use Chrome translation on mobile devices?
Yes. Page translation works in Chrome for Android, iPhone and iPad. Google’s developer documentation says the Translator API does not work on mobile devices.
Is Chrome’s page translation powered by Gemini Nano?
Google does not say so. Chrome’s settings name Google Translate as the service that translates pages, and the Translator API uses its own translation model rather than Gemini Nano.
Is dedicated translation software better than Chrome’s translation?
It depends on your needs. For important documents, check the result with a native speaker whatever tool you use. If translation stops working, see how to fix Chrome Translate.