GDouglas Posted May 27, 2021 Report Share Posted May 27, 2021 I am still learning Spanish but talk to a lot of Spanish-only people on WhatsApp. Recently, I used WhatsApp to get TotalPlay Internet installed (new Lake Chapala optical fiber ISP). I was able to pull it off with no phone calls. What's the easiest method of translating WhatsApp conversations as automatically as possible? Current Method: WhatsApp via Chrome Browser I use the phone, but it's faster to translate via desktop Chrome browser with https://web.whatsapp.com because Chrome has a built-in automatic translator. So I begin chat on the web-based version of WhatsApp. Spanish WhatsApp Chat in Google Chrome Many services can help me fix problems in Spanish: Activate Automatic Translator It is sometimes difficult to enable the automatic translator on https://web.whatsapp.com because WhatsApp replaces the right-click menu with its own custom menu. Also, the translate icon is missing from the browser bar at first! SOLUTION: If you right-click the EMPTY area near the top of the chat, then IT WORKS Then I use Chrome browser to force translation: 1. Right-click on the empty area at the top 2. Select "Translate to English" Now you can read your Spanish chats as if they were natively speaking to you in English. This works for the remainder of the chat session, as long as you do not close the browser window. English-Translated WhatsApp chat Sometimes New Messages Are Not Translated To fix this, 1. Click the Translate icon. 2. Then switch back and fourth (Click "Unknown" then click "English"). 3. That will refresh the whole WhatsApp screen into 100% English. My Method of Responding in Spanish: Copy+Paste from Google Translate Even though the chat "looks" like it's in English, the chat is still in Spanish -- the browser is simply automatically translating English to Spanish. So I have to type in Spanish back. I'm not good yet in Spanish (still learning), so I have to use Google Translate (translate.google.com) and use copy+paste to WhatsApp then hitting Enter to send my chat message. If you are still new to Google Translate, double check translation in both directions (click the ↔️ button two times) to make sure your original English isn't scrambled when translating back. This works very well most of the time for English-Spanish verification, as Google Translate has become very good with this language pair. When you paste into WhatsApp, your typing will be translated to English. However, if you do not start typing more text after your Copy+Paste, then hitting Enter on your pasted message will send the original Spanish to them. And they will be able to understand what you are trying to say. TIP: Use two browser windows side-by-side, one for Google Translate, and one for WhatsApp. So you don't have to switch tabs. That saves one step. Tips Wanted - Any Solutions for More Automatic Operation / Faster Responding in Spanish? I am computer literate and software developer -- but this is a new frontier for me, being my first snowbird year. I have researched and there are some third party software and browser extensions (Chrome Extensions), but I'm a little leery of installing too much third-party software -- so that's why I am asking you (Chapala Weboard audience), what's your favourite software for responding? Faster than switching between two windows, and faster than Copy+Paste? Do any of you have software that allows quicker responding to WhatsApp without copy and pastes? What's your favorite method of translating WhatsApp automatically faster with fewer steps? As I am still relatively new around here, I'd like to know what techniques for easier Spanish WhatsApp chatting you use while you're still new to Spanish. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted May 28, 2021 Report Share Posted May 28, 2021 Can't help with your question but I wanted to thank you for your very down to earth and easy, logical ways of writing explanations on a number of threads. I do so wish that you were writing manuals... or teaching tech companies how to write manuals!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GDouglas Posted May 28, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2021 9 minutes ago, Ferret said: Can't help with your question but I wanted to thank you for your very down to earth and easy, logical ways of writing explanations on a number of threads. I do so wish that you were writing manuals... or teaching tech companies how to write manuals!!!! That's what I used to do! I wrote manuals at my job! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted May 28, 2021 Report Share Posted May 28, 2021 You're damn good at it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Liu Posted May 28, 2021 Report Share Posted May 28, 2021 Tap to Translate: instantly translate text within any app on your Android phone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xtEp55MKRE How to Use Google Translate in Any App on Android: https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/use-google-translate-app-android/ Credit to: https://www.insidelakeside.com/t23719-whatsapp-translate-app 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GDouglas Posted May 28, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2021 Even this iPhone/iPad user (me) has to use a Google Translate product in one form or another (the app). It’s more well-integrated on Android. Google automatic language translation has improved a lot over the years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Dalziel Posted May 28, 2021 Report Share Posted May 28, 2021 In addition to copy+paste from Google Translate to WhatsApp for responding you can also do the reverse -- on your smartphone copy+paste from WhatsApp to Google Translate for viewing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha1 Posted May 28, 2021 Report Share Posted May 28, 2021 https://thenextweb.com/news/google-translate-now-works-app Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timjwilson Posted May 29, 2021 Report Share Posted May 29, 2021 easy peasy - tap to translate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GDouglas Posted May 29, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2021 That’s why I am tempted to switch to Android. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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