Circle to Search is one of the most useful implementations of AI in a smartphone to date, and it could be getting a whole lot better soon.
Google is testing a “Live Translate” feature in Circle to Search, according to an APK teardown by Android Authority (via PhoneArena). While it has some obvious bugs at the moment, if Google is able to get this working, it’s another step closer to a Star Trek-style future with automatic translations of almost everything.
Live Translate would be the next step in AI translations
Translate gifs, videos, and more
At the moment, Google’s Translate function within Circle to Search is pretty powerful. Boot it up, and it lets you translate any text that’s on your screen, including text in pictures. Previously, if you couldn’t copy and paste a text, then you either wouldn’t be able to translate it, or you’d need to painstakingly retype it into a translation service.
However, the existing Translate function has one big restriction: it can’t be used to translate text on the fly. Because it works by essentially screenshotting your view and translating that still image, translating text in video or gif would involve bringing up Circle to Search every time you need to translate a new piece of text. Live Translate would fix that issue.
Available as another option within Circle to Search, Live Translation boots up within Google’s screen recording feature, as you can see from Android Authority’s screenshots. By essentially watching over your screen, it can translate as it goes, making it far more useful when translating ongoing conversations, videos, or other media.
Unfortunately, it seems the function isn’t working seamlessly yet, with translated text only staying on screen for a short time.
Even with that in mind, it’s an impressive feature. You can change the translation language in a hidden pop-up, and you can also choose whether to share a specific app or your entire screen, so you don’t need to show Google everything you’re doing if you don’t want to. But best of all, we really like the cool rainbow edging that circles the screen when it’s enabled.
There’s no word on when this feature will be hitting our phones, and based on how buggy this implementation seems to be, it might not be any time soon. We’ll let you know as soon as we hear more.
