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Android 12 might be able to auto-translate a user's apps to their chosen language

A possible new Android 12 feature leaks out. (Source: Google)
A possible new Android 12 feature leaks out. (Source: Google)
The Android OS should upgrade to its latest 12 version in just a few months. There are some preview builds around, the latest of which is now reported to have a new and powerful feature. It is a service that translates app contents to a phone's system language. Some pre-existing third-party apps are capable of this, although it seems Google may want to bake it into their new UI.

Google does not have too long now until the next major Android upgrade officially drops for the first time. It is reportedly using that time to put the final touches on its development through internal builds. XDA contributors claim to have gotten their hands on one of the latest of these, the code of which reportedly reveals a potential new feature.

It is a form of automatic translation that apparently works on apps open in the UI. Therefore, a user could presumably read anything they would want to install on their phone regardless of its default language or their chosen system language.

This new claimed Android 12 leak is based on new permissions the XDA claims to have found in its latest version. They include MANAGE_UI_TRANSLATION, which reminds the contributors of the Roles (or advanced privileges) introduced with Android 10.

The new permission may allow a specific service (such as Google Translate) to be active throughout the interface. It is reportedly accompanied by BIND_TRANSLATION_SERVICE, as well as the value config_defaultTranslationService.

Accordingly, it is now thought that it might result in UI changes also exerted by certain apps such as AllTrans. It can convert text from one language into another, even across individual apps. Should this new alleged code function as interpreted, it is possible Google is working on a first-party service to pre-empt them. It would make for a pretty impressive new feature to unveil at I/O 2021.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2021 04 > Android 12 might be able to auto-translate a user's apps to their chosen language
Deirdre O'Donnell, 2021-04-18 (Update: 2021-04-19)