Last December, Google brought Assistant’s real-time translation tool to mobile after debuting on Smart Displays and speakers earlier in 2019. Google is now providing even quicker access to Assistant Interpreter Mode with a dedicated app shortcut for Android.
The “Google Assistant – Interpreter Mode” app is less than a megabyte in size and joins your homescreen as “Interpreter.” Selecting it launches Assistant fullscreen into the translation UI. Your default language is automatically selected at the left, while a dropdown lets you select what “They speak.” Like before, there are three modes:
Auto: Your Assistant will automatically translate both sides of your conversation
Manual: Select one mic at a time & your Assistant will translate what’s said
Type to translate: Type in either language & your Assistant will translate for you
When a translation session is active, selecting the icon will return you to the task at hand. However, after you close via the “X,” the app will start a new round by bringing up the language picker.
The Interpreter Mode app joins other ways to launch like “Hey Google, be my German translator” or “Hey Google, help me speak Thai.” You can also create a dedicated shortcut — in the top-right corner — to launch a specific language pairing through the Google app.
Google Play says this Interpreter Mode app is in “Early access,” while it’s not available in all countries. Overall, this shortcut is similar to the Google Lens or Podcasts “app” in that the underlying experience is powered and updated by the Google app.
