About All Translate: Photo, PDF, DOC
I saw this app sitting at the top of the charts in the App Store a month ago and figured I’d give it a shot. I’m always a bit wary of free tools that promise the moon, especially with translation, but the 4.5-star rating made me curious. The name “Daily Tool Labs” for the developer didn’t inspire much confidence, honestly—it sounds like one of those faceless companies. But after using it on my iPhone 14 for over a month now, I have to admit it does what it says. It’s not magical, but it’s become a reliable utility for me, mostly for translating stuff I come across online and the occasional foreign-language email.
Core Features
The three main buttons—Camera, Document, and Text—are right there when you open it. No fuss. The photo translation is the big one. You point your camera, it grabs the text, and lets you pick what to translate. It’s not instant; there’s a few-second wait while it processes. The document feature is what really got me. Last Tuesday, a colleague from our Berlin office sent a one-page PDF spec sheet in German. I tapped ‘Document,’ selected the file from my phone, chose the languages, and bam—a clean English version popped up. It kept the basic formatting, which was a relief. The text mode is straightforward for quick copy-paste jobs. It also has offline packs, which I downloaded for French and Spanish before a weekend trip, and a history log that’s saved my bacon more than once.
Real-World Use
I used it last Saturday at a Korean barbecue place. The menu had a section with no English at all. I felt a little silly holding my phone over the laminated page, but it worked. It correctly picked up the Hangul characters and gave me a translation for “marinated short ribs” that made sense. For work, it’s been my quick fix for glancing at foreign-language PDFs or website snippets I can’t copy from. The text-to-speech button is there, but the voice sounds like a very polite robot from 2005. I only use it to check pronunciation in a pinch. The interface is simple, but I’ve tapped the ad banner at the bottom by mistake at least three times when aiming for the translate button.
Pricing & Value
It’s free with ads. The ads are just banners at the bottom; they don’t interrupt you with videos or pop-ups while you’re in the middle of something, which I appreciate. There’s a premium tier that removes ads and supposedly speeds things up. For my level of use—maybe a few times a week—the free version has been totally fine. I haven’t paid a cent and haven’t felt blocked from using the core features. That’s a good deal. You get a genuinely functional tool without a paywall slapped in front of every use.
Updates & Support
I haven’t had to contact support, which is a good sign. The app just worked. I did check the version history in the App Store, and I see updates every 4-6 weeks. They’re usually listed as “bug fixes and performance improvements” or adding a new language. Reading other reviews, it seems like if you have a problem, you can use an in-app form and might get a reply in a couple of days. It’s not instant, hand-holding support, but the app is stable enough that I haven’t needed it.
Data & Privacy
This is the part that gave me pause, and why I’m not giving it five stars. I always check the privacy policy before using an app like this. Their policy clearly states that when you translate a photo or document, that data is uploaded to their servers to process the translation. They say they don’t store the images or documents long-term. That’s probably standard for this tech, but you have to be aware of it. I would never, ever use this on a sensitive legal document or a private letter. For a menu, a public sign, or a non-confidential work PDF, I’m comfortable with the trade-off for the convenience. The free version serves ads, so there’s some anonymous data collection there too. It’s a practical tool, but not a private vault.
How does the photo translation feature work?
Just open the app and tap the Camera button, then point it at any text. It will grab the words and let you choose what to translate, though it takes a few seconds to process.
Can this app translate entire PDF documents while keeping the layout?
Yes, the Document feature lets you select a PDF from your phone, choose the source and target languages, and it outputs a clean translated version that keeps the original formatting intact.
Why does the photo translation sometimes take a few seconds to work?
The app needs a moment to scan and process the text from the image before it can translate. This short wait is normal and ensures accurate results, especially with complex fonts or languages like Hangul.
What should I do if I get a garbled or nonsense translation?
First, make sure the original text is clear and well-lit when using the camera. For documents, double-check that you've selected the correct source language. If issues persist, try using the Text mode for a cleaner copy-paste job.
How does All Translate compare to Google Translate for document translation?
While Google Translate is great for quick phrases, All Translate excels at handling full PDFs and DOC files while preserving formatting, which Google's app often messes up. It also offers offline packs and a history log that Google lacks in its free version.
