Google Update: Cebuano now available on Word Lens

Cebuano, one of the country’s major languages, is now available on Word Lens, a feature within Google Translate app that serves instant camera translation.

Google Update: Cebuano now available on Word Lens

Word Lens works by simply letting users hold their phone in front of a sign or menu in a foreign language, and then the translation instantly overlays on the screen. Recently, several updates were added to this feature.

First, the auto-detection of language is now available. Word Lens will now be able to automatically detect the supported language on a sign. This is particularly helpful in places with multiple languages. For instance, if one is traveling through the Philippines and comes across a sign that cannot be deciphered, Word Lens will automatically recognize whether it is in Tagalog, English or Cebuano and shows the instant translation accordingly.

Second, more source languages were added. There are now 88 source languages including Cebuano that can be translated into more than 100 languages.

Before, Word Lens only allows users to translate from or to English. With this update, one can translate 88 source languages into more than 100 languages supported by Google Translate, and not limited by from or to English translation. For instance, translations can be from Marathi to Thai, from Greek to Vietnamese, from Cebuano to Japanese and so on.

Word Lens can also work offline. Just download the available language when the device is connected to the internet. Then, it can now be used without Wi-Fi or mobile data later.

“Cebuano is an important language and adding it on Translate’s Word Lens will help facilitate better communication with the locals and promote [a] greater appreciation for Cebu’s rich culture. We hope that those who are already familiar with Cebuano will find the update useful to broaden their understanding of other languages as well,” said Gabby Roxas, Marketing Head, Google Philippines.

Fact Sheet

What is Google Translate’s Word Lens?

Word Lens (this is different from Google Lens) is a feature within Google Translate app that serves as an instant camera translation. Simply hold your phone in front of a sign or menu in a foreign language, and then the translation instantly overlays on the screen. Cebuano, one of the country’s major languages, is now part of Word Lens’ newly supported local languages.

Details about the update:

1) Auto-detection of language: Word Lens will now be able to automatically detect the supported language on a sign.
– This is particularly helpful in places with multiple languages, for instance, if you’re traveling through Cebu and come across a sign you can’t decipher, Word Lens will now automatically recognize it.

2) More source languages were added. There are now 88 source languages including Cebuano that can be translated into more than 100 languages.

3) Before, Word Lens only allows you to translate from/to English. With this update, you can translate 88 languages into more than 100 languages supported by Google Translate and not necessarily only from/to English. For instance, translations can be from Marathi to Thai, from Greek to Vietnamese, from Cebuano to Japanese, etc. So helpful!

4) Much better translation quality because of AI: For the first time, Neural Machine Translation (NMT) technology is built into instant camera translations. This produces more accurate and natural translations, reducing errors by 55-85 percent in certain language pairs. And most of the languages can be downloaded onto your device so that you can use the feature without an internet connection. However, when your device is connected to the internet, the feature uses that connection to produce higher quality translations.

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