How to translate a document in Google Docs, on computer or phone

To translate a document in Google Docs, open it on a computer and go to Tools > Translate document. Give the new file a name, pick the language and click Translate. Docs makes a translated copy and leaves your original untouched. On an Android phone the Docs app has no such option, so this guide also covers what to do there and how to check the result before you send it.

How to translate a document in Google Docs on a computer

This works in any browser on a laptop or desktop, with a free Google account.

1. Open the document at docs.google.com.
2. In the menu, click Tools > Translate document.
3. Type a name for the translated document. Something like Project report (Hindi) makes it easy to find later.
4. Choose the language you want to translate into.
5. Click Translate.

The translated copy opens in a new browser tab, and it is saved in your Google Drive like any other document. Your original stays in its own language, so you can keep working on either one.

You don't need to tell Docs which language the original is in. It detects that on its own, which also helps when you get a document from someone else and aren't sure what it's written in.

If "Translate document" isn't in the Tools menu

The most common reason is that the file is a Word document (.docx) you opened from Drive. Docs can edit Word files directly, but in that mode some features, including translation, are missing. Google's help page says to convert the file first. Click File > Save as Google Docs, open the new copy and the option will be there.

The same applies to a PDF: Docs can't translate it directly. If the PDF has real text, not a scan, you can open it with Google Docs from Drive to turn it into an editable document, then translate that. Expect the layout of a converted PDF to need some cleanup.

Which languages you can translate into

The Translate document option uses Google Translate, so it covers the languages Google Translate supports. That list includes Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi, Urdu, Nepali and Sinhala, along with English and most major world languages.

The quality is not the same for every pair. Translations between English and widely used languages tend to read better than those between two less common languages. If you need to go from Tamil to Marathi, for example, it's worth reading the result with extra care.

If you want to edit the translation yourself and need to type in a script other than the Latin alphabet, use a keyboard app with that language added. Google's help page suggests Gboard on Android, which supports Hindi, Bengali, Tamil and many other Indian languages.

What keeps its formatting and what doesn't

Google's help page doesn't promise that formatting survives the translation, so treat the copy as a draft. Before you send it, scroll through the whole document and check these points:

• Headings and lists. Make sure headings are still headings and numbered lists still count in order.
• Tables. Translated text is often longer than the original, which can push columns out of shape or wrap a short label onto two lines.
• Text inside images. Words in a picture, a logo or a screenshot are not text, so they are not translated. Replace those images or add a caption.
• Names, numbers and codes. Check that names of people and places, roll numbers, amounts, dates and email addresses came through unchanged.
• Page breaks. Longer text can move a heading to the bottom of a page or split a table. Use File > Print preview or download a PDF to see the final pages.

Machine translation also has trouble with tone. A polite request can come out too direct, and idioms are often translated word for word. For anything formal, read it out loud and fix sentences that sound odd.

Translating a document on an Android phone

As of November 2026, the Google Docs app for Android and iPhone has no Translate document option. Google's help page for phones simply says to open the document in Google Docs on a computer. If you only have a phone, you have two workable options.

Copy and paste into Google Translate

Google's help pages describe this as the way to translate a whole document on a phone:

1. Open the document in the Docs app and tap Edit.
2. Select the text you need. For a long document, do it a few paragraphs at a time.
3. Copy it and paste it into the Google Translate app.
4. Copy the translation and paste it into a new document.

This loses most formatting, so it suits short documents such as a letter, a notice or an email reply, not a report with tables.

Use a computer for anything long

For a long document, borrow a laptop, use a college computer lab or a cyber cafe and do the translation there. Sign out of your Google account when you finish on a shared computer. The translated copy will be waiting in your Drive, and you can read it and make small edits on your phone afterwards.

Other files: Word, PDF, slides and spreadsheets

If you don't want to convert a file to Google Docs, the Google Translate website can translate the file itself. Go to translate.google.com on a computer, open the Documents tab, choose the languages, upload the file and download the translation.

The Translate website limits are as of November 2026. Google also notes that text in images and scanned PDF pages stays in the original language. If your PDF is a scan, for example a photographed certificate, it has no real text to translate.

This route is handy for business paperwork. If you bill a client abroad from one of our free invoice templates, you can translate the finished invoice, then check by hand that every amount, tax line and bank detail is exactly as it was in the original.

Check the translation before you send it

A machine translation is a good first draft and a poor final version for anything that matters. How much checking you need depends on who reads it:

• For yourself. Reading notes, a manual or a notice from your landlord? The translation is usually enough to understand it.
• For a teacher, client or employer. Ask someone who speaks the language well to read it, or at least read it back with a reverse translation: translate the copy back into your language and look for sentences that changed meaning.
• For official use. Visa offices, universities and courts often ask for a certified translation by a qualified translator. A Docs translation is not that, so check the requirements before you submit anything.

Keep the original next to the copy while you review. Docs keeps a version history for both files, so you can always go back to an earlier draft from File > Version history.

And if what you need is a document to start from rather than a translation, dedigger searches public Google Drive files, including templates and notes that people have shared in many languages.

Frequently asked questions

Does Translate document change my original file?

No. It creates a new translated copy in your Google Drive. The original document stays exactly as it was.

Can I translate only part of a document?

The Translate document option always translates the whole file. To translate a few paragraphs, copy them into a new document first, or paste them into Google Translate.

Is translating a document in Google Docs free?

Yes. It works with a free personal Google account. The translated copy is a normal document in your Drive, and Google Docs files take up very little of your storage.

Why can't I find the option on my phone?

Because the Docs apps for Android and iPhone don't have it. Google says to open the document on a computer, or you can copy and paste the text into the Google Translate app.