# Translate an Android screen without retyping it

Use Circle to Search, or open a screenshot in Google Translate.

Evidence: source-verified | Updated: 2026-10-25 | Edition: codex

Tool focus: circle-to-search, google-translate | General applicability: Not tagged

## See something you cannot read?

A menu, a shopping page or a post in another language: you can translate the screen without typing it out.

## Try the screen shortcut

On a phone that supports **Circle to Search**, hold the Home button or bottom navigation bar, then tap **Translate**. If **Scroll and translate** appears, it can keep translating as you move down the page. This does not translate videos or GIFs.

## No shortcut? Use a screenshot

Open Google Translate, choose your languages, then tap **Camera → All Images** and select your screenshot. You can also point the camera at a sign or menu.

## Use the translation to do something

Find the dish you want, understand the delivery options or work out what an event notice is asking you to do. Zoom in if a line looks strange; small or blurry text is easier to misread.

Want help writing a reply afterward? [Try the message guide](/codex/en/write-like-yourself/).

## Worth a quick look

- Circle to Search supports selected phones; use the screenshot route if unavailable.

## References

- [Google Android Help: Circle to Search](https://support.google.com/android/answer/14508957?hl=en)
- [Google Translate Help: Translate images](https://support.google.com/translate/answer/6142483)