Apple’s iOS 14 is packed with new features–and quite a few of them are embedded in the Safari app. Safari, of course, is the iPhone’s web browser, and one of its coolest new features is the ability to translate web pages to another language.
iOS 14 Is Packed With New Features
iOS 14 is shaping up to be one of the best iPhone operating system updates in a long time. Apple first previewed iOS 14 back in June and it’s expected to drop for the public sometime in late September or early October.
Among the best news features are home screen widgets, the all-new App Library manager, the ability to set default email apps, and dozens of more features. But one app, in particular, is getting a TON of new features in iOS 14, too. That app is Safari, the iPhone’s web browser.
A History Of Safari
Safari has a long history on iOS. Since the iPhone was introduced, Safari has always been built-in. The app is a port of the macOS Safari desktop web browser. While Safari 1.0 on the iPhone wasn’t great by today’s standards, it was a revolutionary mobile browser for its time. And since then Safari for iPhone has only gotten better.
Advancements over the years have included tabbed browsing, privacy modes, reading lists, and a ton of privacy enhancements. Matter of fact, in iOS 14, Safari is bringing even more privacy and other features to your web browsing experience.
The best of these new features, as Apple explains, includes “a Privacy Report so users can easily see which cross-site trackers have been blocked, secure password monitoring to help users detect saved passwords that may have been involved in a data breach, and built-in translation for entire webpages.”
But it’s that last feature–built-in translation for entire webpages–that we want to talk about here.
Why Would You Want To Translate Web Pages?
Translating webpages isn’t something new. For years you’ve been able to have web pages translated by using various services online. Google Translate is a particular favorite. There are also a ton of translation extensions you can download for desktop browsers than will translate a web page with a click of the button.
But, generally, mobile web browsers haven’t included web page translation features–nor are translations extensions support for most web browsers. But with iOS 14, Safari on iPhone will offer built-in web page translations support.
So, why might you want to translate web pages? It’s very helpful when you are traveling in a foreign country and are looking for local information on the web that isn’t provided in your native language. Translating web pages, in general, too, allows you to enjoy more of what the web has to offer as it allows you to read more content than what’s just available in your own native tongue.
How To Translate Web Pages In iOS 14 On Your iPhone
Apple makes translating web pages in Safari on the iPhone in iOS 14 incredibly easy. You can translate web pages in just a few taps. But do keep in mind that, at launch, built-in website translation will be limited to supporting English, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, German, French, Russian, and Brazilian Portuguese. However, you can expect more languages to be supported over time.
To translate web pages in Safari on iPhone, first, make sure you have iOS 14 or later installed on your iPhone, then follow these steps.
- Launch Safari.
- Navigate to a web page you want to be translated.
- Tap the aA button in the Safari URL bar.
- Tap “Translate to English” in the pop-up menu (or translate to whatever your iPhone’s default language is).
The web page will now be translated into your preferred language. To view the website in its original language again, simply tap the aA button again and tap “View Original.”
