Overview
HandyXlate is an Android screen translation app built for reading visible text without switching away from the current app. A floating bubble starts a single-frame capture, on-device OCR extracts the words, and translated blocks appear over the original screen.
The app does not require an Accessibility Service. Screenshots stay on the device; only recognized OCR text is sent for translation.
Key Features
- Captures one screen frame on demand rather than scanning continuously.
- Runs OCR on the device and overlays translated blocks in their original context.
- Provides optional automatic translation for a selected screen region.
- Includes dictionary lookup and AI Explain near the translated text.
- Offers a manga mode that places translated bubbles over the page.
- Supports copying or saving translated output.
How to Use
- Tap the floating bubble to capture the current screen frame.
- Let on-device OCR recognize the visible text.
- View the translated blocks overlaid on the screen, then copy or save them if needed.
Quick Translate offers a separate workflow for editable text: open it from the bubble menu, paste or type the text, translate it, and copy the result back into a chat, email, or comment.
Use Cases
HandyXlate supports translating social comments and replies while preserving their visual context, reading articles and longer paragraphs, looking up individual words, and translating manga speech bubbles. Its selected-region mode can also repeatedly translate changing video subtitles.
Availability and Limits
The app supports 16 OCR source languages and 19 translation target languages, including major European and Asian languages. Free users receive a monthly online translation quota, while Premium adds AI translation and higher limits.
Screen capture permission is required for OCR. Apps that protect content with FLAG_SECURE or similar restrictions may prevent HandyXlate from reading text on those screens.