Small or stylized text
Google itself warns that small, unclear or stylized text may not translate accurately. Crop to the text and use the highest-resolution screenshot you have.
Guide · phone and PC
How to translate a screenshot.
A chat, a game, a document or an error message in another language. On your phone, Google Translate, Lens and the iPhone handle it for free. On a PC you have Google Translate on the web, Lens in Chrome and a way to translate the screen before you even take the screenshot.
Download free for WindowsSee the stepsWindows 10 & 11 · Sincron translates with your own OpenAI or OpenRouter key
natsuya.jp/sale
なつやメニュー
期間限定
夏のセール
全品最大50%オフ
8月31日まで。5,000円以上のご注文で送料無料。
今すぐ購入
※一部商品を除く
JA → EN
Same color, same weight, same place. Only the language changes — and only in the part you selected.
Guide · phone and PC
How do you translate a screenshot?
On a phone, open the Google Translate app, tap Camera and pick the screenshot from your gallery; the app translates the text in the image. On Android, Google Lens does the same from the Google app, under Translate. On an iPhone, open the screenshot in Photos, tap the Live Text button and then Translate.
On a PC, upload the screenshot to Google Translate on the web, under the Images tab, and download the translated image. If the image is open in Chrome, Google Lens translates it in the side panel. The Windows 11 Snipping Tool does not translate, but its Text actions copy the text from a screenshot so you can paste it into a translator.
If the text is still on screen, you can skip the screenshot: Sincron Screen Tools translates the selected region with Ctrl + Shift + T and shows the translation in place of the original text. It uses your own OpenAI or OpenRouter API key, and the free plan includes 5 translations a day.
Reviewed on October 3, 2026
On your phone
How to translate a screenshot on your phone
All three are free and work with screenshots already in your gallery.
Google Translate, on Android and iPhone
Open the Google Translate app, choose your languages and tap Camera. To use a screenshot you already have, tap All images on Android or Gallery on iPhone and pick it. You can then copy the translated text or have it read aloud.
Google Lens, in the Google app on Android
Open the Google app, tap the Lens icon in the search bar and choose Translate. Under Screenshots or All images, pick the screenshot and select the words. Input and output languages are in the language menu.
Live Text, on iPhone
Open the screenshot in Photos, tap the Live Text button and then Translate. It works on iPhone XS, iPhone XR or later, with iOS 15 or later.
On a PC
How to translate a screenshot on a PC
The first three start from an image. The last one translates the text directly on screen.
Google Translate on the web: the Images tab
Save the screenshot as a file; Win + PrtScn saves it straight to Pictures > Screenshots. On translate.google.com, open the Images tab, choose your languages and browse your computer for the file. Then download the translated image, copy the text or turn on Show original to compare.
Google Lens in Chrome
If the image is open in Chrome, right-click it and search it with Google Lens. In the side panel, use the translate option. For a saved file, google.com's search by image accepts uploads.
Snipping Tool: copy the text, paste it into a translator
On Windows 11, open the screenshot in the Snipping Tool, select Text actions and copy all text. Paste it into Google Translate or DeepL. Text recognition runs on your PC, but you get plain text without the image's layout.
Sincron: translate the screen before the screenshot
With the text still on screen, press Ctrl + Shift + T and select the region. The translation covers the original in the same position, with a similar color, and the source language is detected automatically. You can view the original and copy the full translation.
Comparison
Which option to use when
| Option | Where it works | Do you need to save the screenshot? | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Translate (app) | Android and iPhone | Yes, in your gallery | Free |
| Google Lens (Google app) | Android | Yes, in your gallery | Free |
| Live Text | iPhone XS, XR or later | Yes, in Photos | Free |
| Google Translate (web) | PC, in the browser | Yes, as a file | Free |
| Google Lens in Chrome | PC, in Chrome | No, if the image is open in the browser | Free |
| Snipping Tool + translator | Windows 11 | Uses the snip you just took | Free |
| Sincron (Ctrl + Shift + T) | Windows 10 and 11, in any app | No; it translates on screen | 5 a day free; your key's provider bills usage |
Steps checked on Google, Apple and Microsoft help pages on October 3, 2026.
Try it
The translation where the text was
In the panel below, the translated text covers the original in the same position. That is how Sincron shows translations over any app, with no image to save.
natsuya.jp/sale
なつやメニュー
期間限定
夏のセール
全品最大50%オフ
8月31日まで。5,000円以上のご注文で送料無料。
今すぐ購入
※一部商品を除く
JA → EN
Same color, same weight, same place. Only the language changes — and only in the part you selected.
Before you install
What translating with your own key means
Sincron has no AI of its own. You create an API key in your OpenAI or OpenRouter account, add credit there and paste the key into the app, which tests it before saving and stores it encrypted on this computer.
When you translate, only the selected region goes from your PC straight to the provider, which bills the usage to your account. Sincron does not charge for translations. A ChatGPT Plus subscription does not cover OpenAI API usage, which is billed separately.
Real limits
When a screenshot translation goes wrong
Machine translation is not a review
For contracts, official documents or medical instructions, use the translation to understand the gist and have a translator review it before you act.
Personal data in the screenshot
When you upload a screenshot to an online service, the image leaves your device. Cover names, phone numbers and ID numbers, or crop to just the part you need translated.
Sincron needs a key and works on demand
Without an OpenAI or OpenRouter key, Sincron does not translate. Each translation is a deliberate action: it does not follow subtitles that change on their own.
Common questions about translating screenshots
How do I translate a screenshot on my phone?
Open Google Translate, tap Camera and pick the screenshot from your gallery. On Android, Lens in the Google app also translates screenshots. On an iPhone, open the screenshot in Photos, tap Live Text and then Translate.
How do I translate a screenshot on a PC?
Upload the file under the Images tab on Google Translate's website, or open the image in Chrome and use Google Lens. To translate the screen without saving anything, use Sincron with Ctrl + Shift + T and your own AI key.
Can the Snipping Tool translate a screenshot?
No. It copies the text from a screenshot with Text actions, and you paste it into a translator such as Google Translate or DeepL.
Can I translate a screenshot offline?
On Android, Google Translate's camera works offline if you download the languages first. The Snipping Tool recognizes text on your PC, but translating it still needs a translator. Sincron needs an internet connection to translate, because it uses your key's provider.
Which app translates a screenshot without copying the text?
On a phone, Google Translate, Google Lens and Live Text translate right on the image. On a PC, Google Translate's website gives you a translated image to download, and Sincron translates on the screen itself, with your own key.
See also
Screen translator for Windows
Read text in images, apps and PDFs translated in place, without copy and paste.
Google Lens for Windows
The ways to use Lens on a PC, and when to translate the screen in place.
Posts, tweets and screenshots
Text trapped inside an image, a thread in another language, a regional meme.
Translate before you take the screenshot.
Install Sincron Screen Tools, connect your OpenAI or OpenRouter key and press Ctrl + Shift + T over any text on screen. The free plan includes 5 translations a day; capturing and drawing are unlimited.