Deutsch · Camera, photo, text and voice · Offline
The German photo translator that reads signs and menus offline.
AI Translate is a German translator that reads signs, menus, tickets and packaging through the camera and overlays the English. The German pack works offline, which is useful on regional trains and in the countryside where data is patchy.
Free with your language pair · Premium from $1.99/month
Quick facts about the German translator
- Script
- the Latin alphabet with umlauts and ß
- Camera translation
- Yes, live overlay and photo import
- Works offline
- Yes, after a one-time pack download
- Object scanner
- Yes, names 1,000+ objects in German and English
- Pronunciation
- Audio plus phonetic spelling
- Account required
- No
What you can translate
Where a German translator earns its place on your home screen.
Menus and beer gardens
Tagesgericht boards, bakery counters and Christmas-market stalls are translated live.
Transport and parking
Deutsche Bahn platform notices, ticket machines and parking rules are notoriously wordy. Read them in English before you get fined.
Forms and supermarket labels
Read Pfand instructions, allergen labels and the paperwork in an Airbnb welcome folder.
Common German phrases
What you will actually see on signs and menus.
A few of the phrases the app translates hundreds of times a day.
| German | English | Seen on |
|---|---|---|
| Ausgang | Exit | sign |
| Tagesgericht | Dish of the day | restaurant board |
| Betreten verboten | No entry | sign |
| Wie viel kostet das? | How much does it cost? | shop |
| Die Rechnung, bitte | The check, please | restaurant |
How to
How to translate German from a photo or sign
- 01
Download the German pack
Open Settings, then Offline languages, and tap the download icon next to German. It is about 30 MB and only needs to be done once.
- 02
Point the camera at the text
Open the Text tab and aim at the German sign, menu or label. The English translation appears on top of the original text.
- 03
Freeze to read, or import a photo
Tap Freeze to hold the frame and read every line, or tap the photo button to translate a picture or screenshot you already have.
FAQ
German translator questions.
Does it work in Austria and Switzerland?
Yes. Written German is shared across Germany, Austria and Switzerland, so camera and text translation work the same everywhere.
Does the German translator work without internet?
Yes. Download the German pack once and every feature works offline.
Can it translate a German document?
Yes. Photograph each page or import it from your library and the text is translated in place. For long documents, Freeze and scroll.
Also useful
Read German the moment you see it.
Download the German pack once and translate signs, menus, labels and objects with no internet, no account and nothing uploaded.