Facebook’s translation feature allows you to instantly translate posts, comments, and other content into different languages. This can be useful for reading content written in other languages or for interacting with Facebook friends who speak different languages.
Enabling translation on the Facebook app for iOS or Android only takes a few taps. Here are step-by-step instructions to turn on translation and start using it when browsing Facebook on your mobile device.
Prerequisites
Before starting, make sure:
- You have the latest version of the Facebook app installed on your iOS or Android device
- Your device has an active internet connection (WiFi or mobile data)
- Your Facebook app has permission to access the internet (this is enabled by default)
- The languages you want to translate to/from are added in your Facebook app Languages settings
Adding languages in the Facebook app is done by going to Settings > Languages. Tap ‘Add Language’ and select any languages you want to enable translation for.
Enable Translation on Facebook App for iOS
If you’re using an iPhone or iPad, follow these steps:
- Open the Facebook app and log into your account if you aren’t already
- Tap the three line ‘hamburger’ icon in the bottom right corner to open the menu
- Scroll down and tap ‘Settings & Privacy’
- Tap ‘Settings’
- Tap ‘Languages’
- Make sure the languages you want translations for are enabled here. Tap ‘Add Language’ to add any missing ones.
- Tap back to return to the Settings menu
- Tap ‘Translation’
- Toggle the switch for ‘See Translations’ to the ON position to enable translations
Translations should now be enabled in your Facebook app on iOS. When viewing posts and comments, if a translation is available it will appear above the original text highlighted in a different color.
You can tap the highlighted text to hide/show the translation. There will also be an arrow icon you can tap to choose a different language to translate to.
Controlling Translation Settings
In the Translation settings you can configure options like:
- Always translating from the original language
- Hiding translations when possible
- Auto-detecting the source language
Adjust these to control how and when translations appear when browsing Facebook posts and comments in the app.
Enable Translation on Facebook App for Android
If you use Facebook on an Android phone or tablet, here are the steps:
- Launch the Facebook app and log in
- Tap the three line menu button in the top right
- Select ‘Settings & privacy’
- Tap ‘Settings’
- Tap ‘Language’
- Make sure your desired languages are enabled here. Tap ‘Add language’ to add any that are missing.
- Tap back to return to Settings
- Tap ‘Translation’
- Toggle ‘View translations’ to the ON position
This will enable translation capabilities within the Android Facebook app. Like on iOS, you’ll see translated text appear above posts and comments that is tappable to show/hide.
Translation Settings on Android
The Translation settings on Android allow you to:
- Always translate from the original language
- Auto-detect the language to translate from
- Choose where translation text appears
Adjust these to your preference for how Facebook translations work when browsing the app on your Android device.
Using Translations
Once you have translation enabled in your Facebook app, you’ll see translated text appear in a few ways:
- On posts or comments in a different language, a translation will appear above it.
- Profile bios and ‘About’ sections will show translated text.
- Text on images/memes will get translated.
- Facebook ads may show translated text.
- Text on videos may display translated captions.
Tapping the translation will hide or show it. An arrow icon also appears letting you choose a different language to translate to.
The translated text will try to match the original meaning as closely as possible. Keep in mind it won’t be a perfect translation, but should help you understand the general message.
Translating Conversations
When commenting on a post or chatting with friends, you can translate their messages into a different language.
For example, if a friend writes a comment in Spanish but you only understand English:
- The Spanish comment will show translated into English above it.
- Tap the ‘See original’ link to view the Spanish text.
- Reply to the comment in English.
- Your friend will see your reply translated into Spanish.
This two-way translation makes it easy to hold conversations in multiple languages!
Troubleshooting Facebook Translation
If you’ve enabled translation but aren’t seeing text get translated in the Facebook app, here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Make sure you’ve added the languages you want in the Languages settings. You need the original language and languages to translate to.
- Check your internet connection. Translation requires an internet connection to work.
- Force quit and relaunch the Facebook app. Sometimes refreshing it fixes issues.
- Update to the latest version of the Facebook app in case it’s a bug.
- Toggle translation on/off in the settings. Toggle the switch off, force quit the app, then re-enable it.
You can also report translation bugs to Facebook directly from the Translation settings menu.
Limitations
Facebook’s in-app translation feature has some limits:
- It will not provide perfect translations. The quality depends on the language pair.
- Languages need to be supported by Facebook’s translation system.
- Translations may not be available if you restrict ad tracking.
- Some text in images or videos may not get translated.
- Only short snippets of text are translated, not entire articles/posts.
In general the translations are designed to help you understand the basic meaning of text in another language, but may be inaccurate for technical, nuanced or long form content.
Conclusion
The built-in translation option for Facebook makes it easier to use the app globally across language barriers. By enabling translation on mobile, you can get instant interpretations of posts, comments, conversations and more into your own language.
To turn it on, just go into Settings > Translation on either iOS or Android and toggle the feature on. Add any languages you need in the Languages menu. Then as you browse Facebook, translated text will automatically appear above content in other languages. Tapping the translation lets you show or hide it for easier reading.
While not perfect, the translations allow you to quickly grasp the meaning of non-native content. This helps facilitate communication and makes Facebook more useful internationally. Along with translation, enabling multiple languages broadens the reach of your own posts and profile too.
Frequently Asked Questions
What languages does Facebook translate between?
Facebook supports over 100 languages for translation. The specific pairs supported depends on what languages you have enabled in your app settings. Major languages like English, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, French and others have robust translation capabilities.
Does Facebook translate everything in the app?
No, only selected text gets translated. This includes comments, posts, profile bios, buttons/menus, and text overlaid on images. Large blocks of text and articles will not translate.
Is Facebook’s translation accurate?
The quality varies per language but is designed to convey the overall meaning well enough to understand. However, it may lack nuance or have errors when translating complex ideas or phrases. Important information should not be solely relied on from the translations.
Can I help improve Facebook’s translations?
Yes, in your Translation settings there is an option to provide corrections. Leaving feedback when you notice issues can help Facebook improve the translation models over time.
Why can’t I see translations in Facebook even though I enabled the setting?
Most likely your language settings are not configured correctly. Make sure the original language and languages to translate to are added in Settings > Languages. If those are missing, the translations will not show up.
Are translations available on Facebook desktop?
As of now translations are only available in the mobile apps, not on facebook.com in a desktop browser. The feature is being rolled out first to mobile and may expand to desktop web later.
How does Facebook translate text in images/memes/videos?
Through advanced image recognition and OCR technology that can identify and extract text embedded in images, video frames, memes and other visual media. The text gets sent to the translation system like any other text snippet.
Can I translate posts I’m sharing?
Not directly, but you can copy-paste the text into something like Google Translate before sharing the translated post on Facebook. Or enable multiple languages in your post as needed.
| Language | Code | Users |
|---|---|---|
| English | en | 358 million |
| Spanish | es | 256 million |
| Arabic | ar | 242 million |
| Portuguese | pt | 138 million |
| Indonesian | id | 132 million |
This table shows some of the top languages used on Facebook and the estimated number of users who speak them natively worldwide.
Summary
Here are the key points covered in this guide on how to enable and use translation in the Facebook mobile app:
- Go to Settings > Translation and toggle ‘See Translations’ on
- Make sure source and target languages are added in Languages settings
- Translated text will appear highlighted above posts/comments
- Tap on translations to hide, show, or change languages
- Conversations can be translated back and forth
- Translations may have inaccuracies but convey the general meaning
- Troubleshoot issues by checking settings, language configs, and app version
With the built-in translation option, language is no longer a barrier to connecting and interacting on Facebook. Users around the world can seamlessly communicate with each other. Translation makes Facebook far more inclusive for international users.