Specs and Docs ⋅ Machine translation of content in modern web browsers

LOOPS is a solution for creating Markdown-formatted content (usually manuals and quick guides written in English), which can easily be translated by professional translators, using computer-assisted translation tools, translation management systems, or large language models. You can also choose to have your content translated by high-quality machine translation engines such as DeepL and only use translators for light post-editing and proofreading. English source documents and translations can then be hosted at Specs and Docs or “sideloaded” to any other platform, giving your customers, support specialists, and business partners access to manuals in a variety of languages.

In scenarios where you cannot or don’t want to provide translations, users can still create required translations directly from modern web browsers.

This page explains how to use built-in browser translation features and plug-ins to machine-translate web content using the major web browsers. Additional solutions may be available in other browsers.

1. Google Chrome

Google Chrome offers native machine translation powered by Google Translate, making it the most efficient browser for translating web pages.

How It Works (Desktop & Mobile)

• When you visit a page in a language other than your system’s default language, Chrome will automatically prompt you to translate the page.

• A translation bar appears at the top of the page with an option to translate or show the original language.

Steps to Use

1. Open a webpage in Chrome.
2. If the page is in a foreign language, Chrome will offer to translate it.
3. Click Translate to machine-translate the content.
4. To change language preferences, click the three-dot menu in the address bar and select Translate Options.

Manual Translation in Google Chrome

• Right-click anywhere on the page and select Translate to [Your Language].

Mobile (iOS & Android)

• Translation is automatic on mobile Chrome, with a pop-up option to Translate or See Original.

2. Apple Safari (macOS and iOS)

Apple Safari provides built-in translation on macOS (version 11.0 and later), as well as iOS (version 14 and later). It uses Apple’s translation service to provide machine translations for supported languages.

How It Works (Desktop & Mobile)

• Safari can automatically detect pages in a different language and offer to translate them.

Steps to Use

1. Open a webpage in Safari on macOS or iOS.
2. If the page is in a supported language, a Translate icon (a speech bubble with a globe) will appear in the address bar.
3. Click the Translate icon, then choose Translate to [Your Language].

Languages Supported by Apple Translate

Safari currently supports languages such as English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese (Simplified), Japanese, Korean, Italian, and Portuguese.

Third-Party Extensions for Safari

• Mate Translate: A powerful extension that offers machine translation for over 100 languages and supports both macOS and iOS.

3. Firefox

Firefox, the browser developed and maintained by the Mozilla Foundation and its subsidiary, the Mozilla Corporation, now also has native translation functionality.

Steps to Use

Translate the full page

1. When you visit a webpage in a supported language, the translation panel will open automatically. If it does not open, click the translation icon in the toolbar or select Translate page from the hamburger menu.
2. Firefox detects the page language automatically. To change it, use the top dropdown menu.
3. Next, select your desired translation language from the bottom dropdown menu, which will be pre-populated with your first preferred language. To change the language, use the dropdown menu.
4. Click Translate to translate the entire page.
5. To revert the page to the original language, click the Translation icon in the toolbar and select Show original.

Translate selection

You might need to translate a specific word or sentence when reading in a foreign language. Firefox enables you to highlight and translate selected text to help with these situations.

1. Highlight and right-click the text you want to translate.
2. From the context menu, select Translate selection to …
3. The selected text will be translated and displayed in a pop-up. From here, click Copy to save the translation to your clipboard, Translate full page to translate the entire webpage, or Done to close the pop-up.

Comparison of Built-In Features and Plug-Ins

Browser machine translations – Summary

• Google Chrome: Best for seamless translation with Google Translate built in.
• Safari: Great for Apple users, but with fewer language options than Chrome.
• Firefox: Use internal translation or third-party extensions.

↻ 2025-08-21