There are many translator applications for mobile phones. However, most of them require internet access to function properly. Also, almost all of them are very limited: they only translate text, audio or images, they are not useful for maintaining a bilingual conversation between two people of different languages.
Well, when we searched for the best real-time translation apps for Android, we found something that surprised us. We are talking about RTranslator, an open source application. Free, does not require internet and translates in real time in two directions.
Just like you read, the RTranslator app can act as a translator to have a fluid conversation with someone who speaks a different language than you. And all this without paying a subscription and without spending mobile data. Next, we will tell you how to download it and all its functions.
RTranslator, an application that provides free and offline two-way translation
RTranslator is an open source application (the code is available on GitHub), ie Download for free and no registration required. This uses two free AI models (NLLB from Meta and Whisper from OpenAI) that run directly from mobile, so it doesn’t need an internet connection to run.
We leave the link below to download the APK from GitHub repository. You just need to click on RTranslator.xxxapk to start the download:
Once you get the APK, install it and open it for the first time. The app will download 1.2 GB of data, which are the translation and voice recognition models it uses. In addition, it requires at least 6 GB of RAM to run properly, as the AI models run directly on your mobile.
What languages is it compatible with? Well, it currently works in more than 25 different languages: English, Spanish, Arabic, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese, Czech, Danish, German, Greek, Finnish, French, Croatian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Swedish, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese.
And what can he do? So, apart from providing text translation like any other app, what sets RTranslator apart is that it turns your mobile phone into a translation device or translator as it converts text to audio in real time. Next, we will tell you the three main modes:
Conversation mode: You can have a fluid conversation with real-time translation using a pair of mobile phones and headphones
This is the star feature of RTranslator. And by installing the application on two phones and both going into “Conversation Mode”, the phones are connected (receiving a request) and start a real-time two-way translation session… How does this work? Well, in the following way:
When you speak, your phone (or if headphones are connected) the recorded voice is converted to text and sent to the other person’s phone.The other person’s cell phone translates the received text into your language, and the translated text is converted to audio and played through the other person’s cell phone speaker (or a Bluetooth headset if connected).
This whole process is done automatically in both directions, so you can talk to another language without doing anything, the app does all the work by translating, converting text to audio and playing it in both interlocutors’ headphones. The dialogue is fluid and engaging.
WalkieTalkie Mode: For quick and short conversations, two people can share cell phones and have real-time translation.
WalkieTalkie mode is perfect when you want to ask a quick question to someone who speaks another language. And this only requires a mobile phone. The first thing you need to do is to choose the two languages that will be spoken in the conversation.
Once you meet them, you have to take turns speaking and the app will translate the conversation instantly. The translation appears as text in the app, but audio also plays along with the translation to make the experience more fluid.
Simple translation mode: The application works as a text translator without the need for an internet connection
This is the most basic function, although it is still very useful. And it has a text box on the home screen where you can translate text without using the internet. Just select the input and output language, click on “Translate” and that’s it.
And you… dare to try RTranslator?
