How To Translate Websites to English from Spanish (or any other language)
In this article, we’ll show you how to translate websites to English from Spanish so you can start reading news articles and blog posts written in foreign languages.
Most browsers and mobile phones have an automatic translation feature, but it’s not always enabled by default. However, it’s easy to activate and opens up an entirely new foreign language version of the web for you. This is especially helpful if you’re planning a move abroad to a foreign country.
Website Language Translation in Popular Browsers
The two most widely used browsers are Google Chrome and Safari, and both offer built-in website translations to English from many other languages. While Firefox does not offer built-in support for language translations, you can install a translator add-on.
Before you can get started with the instructions below, you first need to navigate to a Spanish-language website such as ElUniverso.com on your device.
IMPORTANT: Automatic translations only apply to text, not images. In the example below, “El Universo” is not translated because it is an image of the news outlet logo. You may also notice some proper names, including city names, are incorrectly translated. There is no English translation for Guayaquil so it isn’t translated. However, a city name like Puerto Lopez may be translated to Lopez Port. Keep this in mind as you read the translated text.
How To Translate Websites to English in Google Chrome
You can easily translate web pages from Spanish to English in Google Chrome. Just click the icon on the right side of the browser address bar as shown below and select English. You can also opt to “Always Translate Spanish” so whenever you open a website written in Spanish, it will automatically translate it to English.
Don’t See the Language Translation Option?
If you don’t see this option in the browser address bar, you’ll need to activate it in the browser settings first following these steps:
- At the top right of your browser, click the three little vertical dots and then click “Settings” in the dropdown menu.
- At the bottom of the Settings page on the left side, click “Advanced” to expand the hidden list.
- Under the “Languages” section, click the “Language” block to expand it.
- Check the blue switch next to “Offer to translate pages that aren’t in a language you read” to activate language translations.
For additional help, check this Google Support Page: Change Chrome languages & translate webpages for Desktop.
How To Translate Websites to English in Safari
Just like Google Chrome, Safari has an option to automatically translate Spanish to English. Click the icon on the right side of the browser address bar as shown below and select “Translate to English” from the dropdown menu. Then click “Enable Translation” in the popup dialog.
For additional help, check the Apple Support Page: Translate a webpage in Safari on Mac.
How To Translate Websites to English in Firefox
Unfortunately, Firefox does not provide built-in language translation support. You’ll need to install the Google Translator for Firefox Add-On or one of the other available add-ons. After you download and install the add-on, follow the setup instructions to translate web pages using Firefox.
Website Language Translation on Mobile Devices
Android devices, as well as iOS devices running version 14 or later, are capable of language translation using the mobile browser apps.
How To Translate Websites to English on iPhones & iPads
The language translation feature is available in the Safari App on iOS 14 and higher. In the browser app, click the “AA” icon on the left side of the browser address bar as shown below in arrow one. Then click the “Translate to English” option from the dropdown menu by arrow two. Click “Enable Translation” in the popup dialog box.
For additional help, check this guide on MacRumors.com: iOS 14: How to Translate Webpages in Safari on iPhone.
How To Translate Websites to English on Android Devices
In the Google Chrome browser app on Android devices, click the “G” icon on the left side of the browser address bar as marked by arrow one below. In the popup dialog box, click the “Translate” button or the “Always translate Spanish” option as marked by arrow two.
For additional help, check this Google Support Page: Change Chrome languages & translate webpages for Android.
Translate Web Pages to English Using Google Translate
If you have an older device or your website translation tools aren’t working, you can always kick it old school and copy/paste the content into the Google Translate tool in a browser window.
We also use the Google Translator app on our phones. It’s available for both Android and iOS devices in the respective app stores and comes in really handy for translating WhatsApp and text messages from non-English speaking service providers.
Just long-press (hold your finger down) on a message and select “Copy” from the dialog box. Then Paste it into the translate input box with another long-press.
Be sure to download the offline dictionary so it’ll work when you’re not connected to the Internet. Here are the instructions to do that for iPhones and Android devices.
Translating Spanish to English on Web Pages is Easy!
As you can see, the world has become a lot smaller thanks to modern language translation software that’s available on most popular browsers and mobile devices. This opens up a new opportunity for people around the world to read websites written in foreign languages.
If you’re a current expat, these features will allow you to stay informed about what’s going on in your new home country. If you’re a future expat, you’ll be able to learn more about the countries you’re considering and prepare for life in your new home abroad.
We may not be quite to the level of the universal translators on Star Trek, but we’re getting close!
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Hola todos! Welcome to my author bio page! Let's see. Where to begin... I grew up in the country on a lake outside a small Kansas farm town. As soon as I could, I got the hell outta there! Since then, I've lived and/or worked in Kansas City, Washington D.C., Denver, San Francisco, and Ecuador. I started and sold a dotcom, wrote a book about it, started a YouTube channel, and now I write a lot. Amelia and I have embraced the Unconventional Life and we want to help you do it, too!
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