Before you start
You need an iPhone with an Action Button and iOS 18.4 or later to use Onscreen Translate. Background screenshot previews require iOS 26 or later; earlier supported versions open the app. A phone that meets the app’s minimum iOS requirement does not necessarily have an Action Button.
If your phone has a Ring/Silent switch instead, use Back Tap for screen translation. Back Tap can also be useful when your Action Button already has an action you want to keep.
Assign screen translation to the Action Button
- Open Onscreen Translate and follow its Magic Tap setup to add the translation shortcut.
- Open Settings → Action Button.
- Swipe to Shortcut, choose a shortcut, and select the one you added through the app.
- Open an app screen containing text you want to understand. Wait until the screen is stable.
- Press and hold the Action Button to run the assigned shortcut.
- Read the translated capture. Return to the original app to tap its buttons or move to another screen.
See Apple’s Action Button guide for button customization. Onscreen Translate provides the shortcut used in this workflow.
Why choose a shortcut instead of just opening Translate?
A shortcut can carry out a workflow rather than simply launch an app. Here, the workflow starts with the screen already in front of you. Onscreen Translate recognizes its visible text and creates a translated result that preserves the screen’s visual structure.
This helps when you need to map a translated label back to a particular button or card. It also avoids copying each line into a separate text box. The screen capture still happens; the shortcut handles that step.
Action Button or Back Tap?
The Action Button gives you a physical press-and-hold gesture. Back Tap uses a double or triple tap on the back of the phone. Both can start the same on-demand translation workflow after setup.
Use the Action Button if it is available and you want a dedicated control for translation. Use Back Tap if you want to keep the button assigned to Camera, Silent Mode, or another action. Neither trigger makes the app a continuous live translator.
What happens after a translation?
The result represents the text visible when the screen was captured. The original app keeps its original language. A translated button in an image is a reference for finding the corresponding button in the app; it does not become an interactive replacement.
For a shopping flow, translate the product options, return to the original screen, make your selection, and translate the next screen as needed. For a game, wait for dialogue to finish appearing before triggering the shortcut.
The button opens the wrong app or action
Check the assignment in Settings → Action Button. Choosing an app-opening shortcut or a different action will run that instead. Revisit Magic Tap setup if you cannot find the translation shortcut. Try running it directly from Shortcuts to separate a button-assignment issue from a translation issue.
Will this translate scrolling or video automatically?
No. Onscreen Translate translates individual captured screens when triggered. If you need words from a moving scene, pause it where possible and translate a stable frame. For broader options, see the comparison of iPhone translation methods.
Try Onscreen Translate
Translate a captured screen with a quick trigger and read the result in its original visual structure.
Download on the App Store