Microsoft Translator can now translate text from an image in 21 languages

Microsoft Translator for Android is getting a key feature today. Have an image with foreign text on it? You can translate it just as you would regular text. You can use automatic language detection if you aren’t sure which language it’s in, but note that the feature only supports 21 of Microsoft Translator’s 50+ languages right now.

Then, there’s good news and bad news:

• The Good News: You can now translate text even if you aren’t inside the Microsoft app!
• The Bad News: This is only true for folks on Android 6.0 or higher.

And considering those recent Android 6.0 adoption numbers we’d say that’s not a terribly large amount of folks just yet. Still, it’s there, so woohoo! Last but not least, you can now download language packs for offline use, something we’re sure will delight those of you who can’t rely on a connection wherever they’re going. The update is sitting pretty over at Google Play so grab it and break down those language barriers!