How System-Wide Text Translation Works in iOS 15

With the release of iOS 15, Apple integrated its Translate app directly into the core operating system, enabling system-wide text translation through the contextual text selection menu. This feature allows users to instantly translate foreign text across native and third-party applications—such as Safari, Mail, Messages, and Notes—without having to switch back and forth between dedicated translation apps. Below is a breakdown of how this functionality operates, how to access it, and the features it supports.

Accessing the Translation Option

The system-wide translation feature is built into the standard iOS text-editing popover menu. To use it:

  1. Highlight the Text: Tap and hold, then drag the selection handles over the foreign text you want to translate.
  2. Open the Action Menu: The standard contextual menu will appear with options such as Copy, Look Up, and Share.
  3. Select Translate: Depending on screen width and available space, the Translate option may be immediately visible, or you may need to tap the right arrow (chevron) to view additional menu actions.
  4. View the Translation: Tapping Translate brings up a native sheet overlay displaying the selected text and its translated counterpart.

Features of the Translation Card

When the translation sheet appears at the bottom of the screen, it provides several tools directly within the interface:

  • Audio Playback: Users can tap the play icon to hear the spoken pronunciation of both the original and translated text.
  • Language Selection: The system automatically detects the source language. If it detects the wrong language or if you want to output into a different language, both the source and target languages can be manually changed using drop-down selectors.
  • Copy Translation: A dedicated button allows you to quickly copy the translated string to your clipboard.
  • Add to Favorites: You can save the translated snippet directly to your favorites list inside the standalone Translate app for later reference.
  • Replace with Translation: If you highlight text inside an editable text field (such as composing an email or writing a note), the card offers an option to instantly replace the original text with the translated text.
  • Open in Translate: An option at the bottom allows you to launch the full Translate app with the selected text preloaded.

Offline Translation Support

System-wide translation does not strictly require an active internet connection. Users can navigate to Settings > Translate and enable On-Device Mode. By downloading specific offline language packs, the contextual translation menu can process and display translations entirely on-device, preserving user privacy and providing utility while traveling without cellular data.

System and App Compatibility

Because the feature is integrated into the native UIEditMenuInteraction and text architecture of iOS, it functions automatically in almost any application that uses standard iOS text frameworks. While developers using non-standard, custom text rendering engines may need to manually update their apps to support the feature, the vast majority of web views, document viewers, and text-based apps support contextual translation out of the box.