Facebook provides an automatic translation feature that allows users to translate posts and comments into different languages. This can be useful for connecting with Facebook friends and Pages around the world in their native languages. Here are quick answers to some commonly asked questions about Facebook’s auto translation capabilities:
How does Facebook’s auto translation work?
Facebook uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to automatically translate text between languages. When a post or comment is written in a language different than your own default language on Facebook, you will see an option to “Translate” the text. Clicking this will show you the text machine translated into your language.
What languages can be auto translated?
Facebook currently supports automated translations between over 100 languages including Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Arabic, Indonesian, Hebrew and many more. The full list of supported languages for translation is available here.
Is the auto translation accurate?
Facebook’s automated translations are decent for getting the general gist of a post or comment, but they are not going to be perfectly accurate. The technology is constantly improving, but there will inevitably be some errors just like with any machine translation service. It may misinterpret slang, cultural references, sarcasm or native expressions. You should view auto-translated text as giving you a helpful idea of what was said, but expect occasional mistakes.
How do I auto translate posts or comments?
There are a couple ways to utilize Facebook’s auto translation if you encounter a post that is in a different language than your profile language:
- Hover your mouse over the post and click the “Translate” button that pops up.
- Click the 3 dots at the top right of the post and select “Translate”
For comments, you can click the Translate link that appears to the right of any comment in a foreign language. The original text will remain, but a translation will appear above it in your language.
Can I set my default language for translation?
Yes, you can define which language you want posts to be automatically translated into within Facebook’s Translation preferences. On desktop go to Settings & Privacy > Language and select a language under “Translation Language.” On mobile, go to Settings & Privacy > Language > Translation Language. This will make translated versions of posts appear instantly without needing to manually click translate each time.
Will translated posts appear in the original language too?
Yes, enabling auto translation does not replace or hide the original text. The original foreign language post will still be visible along with the translated version in your chosen language. This allows you to see both texts side-by-side.
What can’t be auto translated?
Here are some cases where Facebook’s automated translation will not work:
- Live videos – The translation feature is not currently available for live streams.
- Images/Videos – Any text or subtitles in images or videos cannot be translated.
- Advertisements – Ads from Pages are not translated.
- About sections – The About text for Pages and profiles is not translated.
- Algorithms – The auto translation cannot work on text generated by bots or algorithms that is not proper language.
In these cases you will need to rely on translating the text manually using something like Google Translate if you want it in your language. The auto translation only works on actual text posts, comments, and descriptions added directly by users.
Should I depend on the translations?
Facebook’s automated translations can be useful for getting the gist of posts in different languages, but they have limitations.
Potential issues:
- Grammar and accuracy mistakes
- Loss of nuance and tone
- Translating slang or cultural phrases poorly
- Proper names left untranslated
You should view the translations as helpful but imperfect. If you need to fully understand a post or have an important exchange through comments, it may be better to use an external translation service or translator to ensure accuracy.
When it can be helpful:
- Casual communication with friends abroad
- Getting the general idea of a post
- Understanding comments on your own Page or post
- When an imperfect translation is sufficient
For casual purposes, convenience may outweigh the need for expert level translations. But avoid relying on it for anything extremely formal or important.
Pros and cons
Here is a summary of some pros and cons to keep in mind when using Facebook’s machine translation feature:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| – Quick and easy to use | – Not always fully accurate |
| – 100+ languages supported | – Nuance may be lost |
| – Allows casual communication | – Not suitable for formal/important text |
| – Translations improve over time | – Doesn’t work on images/videos/ads |
| – Keeps original text visible | – Some phrases translate poorly |
Conclusion
Facebook’s automated translation feature allows users to view posts and comments in different language in a quick and convenient way. It can break down language barriers and make the platform more social. However, the machine translations do have flaws and limitations users should keep in mind.
For casual purposes it can be very helpful, but may lack the nuance and accuracy needed for formal or critical communication. Consider it a useful tool to aid understanding, but not a complete replacement for human translation in important situations. The quality of translations will also continue to evolve over time as Facebook’s technology improves.
Hopefully this overview gave you a better understanding of how automated translation works on Facebook, when it can be useful, and some of its current capabilities and limitations!