Key Takeaways
- Google Translate version 8.22.46.698958551.3 could bring a new mode called Sticky Translate.
- Sticky Translate remembers your last-used translation mode for quick access.
- Google always aims to improve accuracy and enhance the user experience with new features.
In the modern world, you probably run into languages you don’t speak (or read) on a daily basis. Google Translate is a fantastic tool for getting past that particular barrier, with translation functions like Conversation Mode, Google Lens Mode, and more.
The current version of the app opens to the default mode, but findings in the upcoming update suggest a new “Sticky Translate” mode might be on the way. It’s not actually a translation mode, though, but a feature that opens the app to the last mode you used.
The Sticky Translation Mode could arrive in version 8.22.46.698958551.3 of the Google Translate app for Android, according to findings made by Android Authority in a recent APK teardown. This feature will give you the option to relaunch your last-used translation mode the next time you open the app. For example, if you last used Conversation Mode to speak with someone at a restaurant, Sticky Translation would automatically open to that mode.
While this isn’t groundbreaking, it is a quality of life upgrade that could save you a few taps next time. Eventually, that convenience adds up.
Android Authority shared a video of the feature in action that you can see below.
A welcome addition
Like we said: it’s nothing groundbreaking, but it can save you a lot of time. If you travel frequently or live somewhere that poses language barriers, Google Translate is likely one of your most-used apps (unless you’re a Rain Man-like polyglot). Google is constantly working to improve its translation capabilities, with a 2021 study showing that Google Translate ranged from 55% to 94% accuracy, with an average of 82.5%.
There is no official timeline for when the feature will become available to the public. The base code already exists within the app, but will likely remain inactive until Google deems the feature ready for public launch. Of course, there’s also a chance that we never see a fully-featured version of this; in-development code can often change, and projects are sometimes scrapped even late into development.
Google has a track record of shuttering projects, but with a minor change like this, it’s more than likely going to arrive soon.
