Google Translate's new update fixes a minor flaw when typing with Gboard

Gboard's automatic language switching when using Google Translate
Gboard's automatic language switching when using Google Translate (Image credit: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • The Google Translate app has received a new update that makes typing with Gboard more useful.
  • Translate now switches Gboard language based on the language you want to translate from.
  • The new feature is available in the most recent version of Translate's mobile app.

Google Translate has picked up a handy update that addresses a previous shortcoming with Gboard's language preference when you start typing in the app. It now automatically switches the keyboard app's language to match the one you are translating from.

According to 9to5Google, the latest update is available in Google Translate app version 6.33 and Gboard version 11.6 (beta) on many of the best Android phones running Android 12. Furthermore, we can confirm that it is now available on Android 11 devices.

The latest capability can prove tremendously useful when you're translating from, say, Arabic to English. Gboard's language automatically changes to Arabic when you start typing in Translate's text field, assuming its default language is English, for example.

Previously, Gboard's language followed the system default of your phone, regardless of the language you were translating from in Google Translate. To change that, you'd have to go into the keyboard app's settings and make the necessary tweaks.

The most recent Translate update removes that inconvenience and makes typing with Gboard far more useful.

It's the latest step in Google's effort to improve the user experience on Translate. Earlier this year, the search giant introduced a Material You redesign to the app on non-Pixel devices.


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Jay Bonggolto
News Writer & Reviewer

Jay Bonggolto always keeps a nose for news. He has been writing about consumer tech and apps for as long as he can remember, and he has used a variety of Android phones since falling in love with Jelly Bean. Send him a direct message via Twitter or LinkedIn.