SKY Eye

Google Translate can come in handy when you're traveling or communicating with someone whom speaks another language, and thanks to a new update, you can now connect with some 614 million more people. Google is adding 110 new languages to its Translate tool using its AI PaLM 2 large language model (LLM), which brings the total of supported languages to nearly 250. This follows the 24 languages added in 2022, including Indigenous languages of the Americas as well as those spoken across Africa and central Asia.

Many of the recently added languages are ones you've probably never heard of, as they're spoken only by small communities or have no native speakers.

Cantonese, that is spoken predominantly in southeastern China, Hong Kong, and Macau as well as communities across the world, may be one of the most recognizable additions with this update. According to Google, the overlap between Cantonese and Mandarin—which was already available—makes it difficult to train LLMs. Punjabi (Shahmukhi), the most spoken language in Pakistan, is also now available.

The update also includes Portuguese (Portugal), Tongan, Tibetan, Tahitian, Venetian, Sicilian, Fijian, and Jamaican Patois.

The Google Translate app is available in the Apple App Store and the Google Play store. It can translate text you paste in, as well as text appearing in photos. It can also translate voice input as well as handwritten characters.