There are times when you might receive an email written in another language. Even if it’s unlikely, it helps to be able to translate a message for the rare time when you might receive one, particularly if your organization occasionally conducts business beyond your country’s borders. Let’s go over how you can use Gmail’s built-in translation functionality.

We should start by saying that we doubt the translation function will ever be 100% guaranteed accurate, but it should do well enough to give you an idea of what the other person has to say. If that’s all you need, then this tool might be just for you. Otherwise, consider a more comprehensive solution.

Translate Your Email in Gmail

First, you’ll see that the moment you receive an email that seems to be written in another language, you’ll see the translation open at the top of the page. If you see this button, you can translate the message into your preferred language using the Translate button. Click it and it will run the translation right away.

Now, if you don’t see the translation button, you’ll have to tweak some settings. Tap the three-dot menu for the message and find the translate Message menu. You’ll see this open up the Translate bar. Select the language from the drop-down list, or have Gmail detect the language on its own. Once you do, you can click on the Translate Message option to complete it. You can also revert it to the original language in the same way.

If you want to just turn on automatic translation, you can do it pretty easily. This option should be on the right side of the screen after you have translated your message, along with the language you have selected. You can disable automatic translations in the same way.

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