How do I change auto translate on Facebook?

Facebook’s auto translate feature allows you to read posts in different languages automatically translated to your preferred language. This can be useful for connecting with friends and family who speak other languages. However, you may want to change the auto translate settings at times. Here are some common questions about how to manage Facebook’s translate options:

Should I turn off auto translate on Facebook?

There are a few reasons you may want to turn off auto translate on Facebook:

You want to practice reading a language you’re learning.

The translations are poor quality or inaccurate.
You don’t want certain posts translated without approval.
You find the automatic translations distracting.

However, there are also good reasons to keep auto translate enabled:

It allows you to conveniently read posts in other languages.
It helps you feel connected and engaged with international friends.

It enables discovery of posts you may have missed otherwise.

Consider your personal preferences and reasons for using Facebook when deciding if you should turn off translate or not. You can always toggle it on and off as needed.

How do I turn off auto translate on Facebook’s desktop site?

To turn off Facebook’s auto translate on the desktop website:

Click on the down arrow in the top right and select “Settings”.
On the left sidebar, click “Language and Region”.
Under “Facebook Language”, select “English (US)” or your preferred language.

Toggle “Automatically translate posts that aren’t in [your language]” to off.

Once you’ve turned off auto translate, posts in other languages will no longer be translated. You can toggle it back on any time if you change your mind.

How do I turn off auto translate on the Facebook mobile app?

To turn off auto translate on the Facebook mobile app:

Tap the three line menu icon in the top right.
Go to “Settings & Privacy” > “Language and Region”.
Under “Language”, select your preferred language like English.

Toggle the “Automatically translate posts” switch off.

This will prevent posts from being translated in your mobile app feed. Toggle the switch on again to reinstate auto translations.

Can I exclude certain languages from auto translate?

Unfortunately, Facebook does not currently allow you to select specific languages to exclude from auto translation. The setting is either on for all languages or off completely.

Your options are:

Turn off auto translate – This will stop all automatic translations.
Use another translation tool – Copy and paste text into a separate translator like Google Translate.

Provide feedback to Facebook – Request the ability to exclude languages in user feedback to Facebook.

While you can’t change this directly in Facebook settings, providing user feedback is a good way to request more customizable translation options in the future.

Can I get auto translations for some posts but not others?

Unfortunately there is no way to enable auto translations for some posts, but not others. Facebook’s translate setting is all or nothing across your entire News Feed.

A few options for more control include:

Turning translate on/off as needed – Toggle the overall setting off when you don’t want translations.
Using a separate tool – Copy text elsewhere to get translations only when desired.

Give Feedback – Suggest post-level controls to Facebook as a feature request.

While post-specific translate options are not currently available, letting Facebook know this is something users want could help improve future translation flexibility.

Can I get human translations instead of machine translations?

Facebook relies on machine translation provided by third-party technology companies. The translations are generated automatically by AI, not real people.

A few options for getting human translations include:

Asking friends who speak the language – They can provide high quality human translations.
Using a professional translation service – Get expert human translations for lengthy or important posts.

Providing feedback to Facebook – Suggest supplementing machine translation with human reviewers.

While expensive and time consuming, human translations are typically more accurate. Encouraging Facebook to offer human verified translations could help improve quality issues.

How can I improve the quality of Facebook’s auto translations?

Here are some tips for getting better quality translations from Facebook:

Make sure you selected the correct language – Facebook will translate to the language set in your preferences.
Update incorrect translations – Select “See Translation” and then “Suggest an Edit” to improve translation memory.
Report issues – Use the feedback tool to notify Facebook of poor or offensive translations.

Suggest improvements – Give Facebook feedback requesting higher quality translations in certain languages.

Translating millions of social media posts is extremely challenging. But highlighting problematic translations for Facebook can prompt adjustments and improvements over time.

Can I translate Facebook posts into other languages?

While Facebook provides automatic translations from other languages into your own, there is no built-in tool to translate your posts into different languages.

If you want to share Facebook posts in multiple languages, here are a few workarounds:

Use Facebook’s “See Translation” and copy the text into a separate translator to share.
Use a multi-language social media management platform to translate your posts.

Hire a professional translator or ask a friend to translate your posts.
Share your post in your native language, then write a second post with the same message manually translated.

With some extra effort, you can share Facebook content with wider language reach. Tools to directly translate posts into other languages would be a useful addition for the future.

Should I report offensive or inappropriate translations?

If you see an automatic translation on Facebook that is offensive, harmful, or factually incorrect – you should definitely report it. Here’s how:

Click the three dots above the post and select “Give Feedback on This Translation”.
Select “The translation looks wrong or unnatural”.

Explain why the translation is problematic and how it should be fixed.

Providing this feedback will notify Facebook of issues with the translation algorithm and help prevent offensive or misleading translations from appearing for other users.

Can I suggest new language support for translation?

Facebook currently supports automated translation for over 100 languages, but new languages are continually added. If you notice a language missing that you’d like translate support for, you can request it directly from Facebook.

To suggest or vote for additional languages to be added for translation:

Go to the Facebook UserVoice forum.
Click “Requests” and type the language name.

Upvote existing requests or click “+ New Request” to add it.

Filing user feedback helps Facebook prioritize which languages to work on next for expanding translation capabilities.

Conclusion

Facebook’s auto translation tool provides a convenient way to access posts written in languages you don’t know. But the settings could be improved by adding more flexibility to target translations as needed. Filing user feedback and suggestions is the best way to help Facebook enhance the translate experience over time. With more customization and higher quality translations, the feature can become even more useful for overcoming language barriers.

Question	Answer
Should I turn off auto translate on Facebook?	It depends on your preferences – consider if translations help or hinder your experience.
How do I turn off Facebook auto translate on desktop?	Go to Settings > Language and Region > Toggle off auto translate.
How do I turn off Facebook auto translate on mobile?	Go to Settings & Privacy > Language and Region > Toggle off auto translate.
Can I exclude certain languages from auto translate?	No, the setting is all or nothing. You must turn it completely off.
Can I get auto translations for some posts but not others?	No, translate toggles on or off for your entire News Feed.
Can I get human translations instead of machine translations?	Not directly in Facebook, but you can ask friends or use professional services.
How can I improve the quality of Facebook’s auto translations?	Report errors, suggest edits, and provide feedback to Facebook.
Can I translate my own Facebook posts into other languages?	Not directly in Facebook, but you can use separate translator tools.
Should I report offensive or inappropriate translations?	Yes, use the feedback tool to notify Facebook of issues.
Can I suggest new languages for translation support?	Yes, request additional languages through Facebook’s UserVoice forum.