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Google has reintroduced its Translate mobile apps to China, where they can now be accessed and used without the need for software to\u00a0bypass local censorship.<\/p>\n
The U.S. tech giant left China\u00a0more than seven years ago when it redirected its local search engine to Hong Kong<\/a>\u00a0and many of its services are censored in the country.\u00a0Today\u2019s low-key relaunch marks the first time it has revived a service specifically for users in China.<\/p>\n Google has maintained a web-based version<\/a> of Translate that has been accessible since its China exit, but with half of China\u2019s 1.4 billion population using the internet on mobile, according to the latest government figures<\/a>, these apps will\u00a0give the service wider reach.\u00a0The iOS version of Translate is available<\/a> in the Chinese App Store, while Google is directing Android users to a\u00a0direct download from its servers here<\/a>.\u00a0Previously, those in China could only use the app when connected to\u00a0a VPN to evade the government\u2019s\u00a0internet censorship system.<\/p>\n \u201cGoogle Translate has been available in China for more than eight years. Today, we\u2019re making our Translate app work better for Chinese users,\u201d a spokesperson told TechCrunch.<\/p>\n The apps will be maintained by Google\u2019s joint-venture in China, which runs the services it has remaining there, and will\u00a0be subject to any government issued requests or censorship, Google confirmed.<\/p>\n Google added\u00a0that\u00a0users of the Chinese version have full access to the service, which includes Word Lens, the feature that translates text from photos snapped inside the app. Word Lens gained support Chinese last year<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Chinese was the first\u00a0language Google picked for its new machine learning translation technology, which went live last September<\/a>\u00a0and hugely advanced the way the service works.<\/p>\n \u201cWith today\u2019s update, we\u2019re hoping to make the Translate experience better for Chinese users, helping break down language barriers by connecting people around the world,\u201d Google wrote in a blog post<\/a>.<\/p>\n Publicly, at least, Google is saying that the launch of the Chinese version of the app is about giving more options to Chinese internet users, who also have services from Baidu<\/a> and other Chinese companies available, but today\u2019s news marks a notable advance on its China strategy.<\/p>\n Translate won\u2019t generate revenue for Google, but it may boost its visibility among Chinese internet users. Potentially, it sets a precedent for introducing China-specific versions of other Google apps and services in the future, although the company declined to comment when we asked\u00a0it about that directly.<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s also the possibility that this launch is a litmus test or precursor to the re-introduction of the Google Play in China.<\/p>\n Reuters<\/a>, The Information<\/a> and other media have consistently reported over the past year that Google harbors ambitions to bring\u00a0the Google Play Store to\u00a0Chinese soil. Despite the rumblings, there\u2019s been no concrete advance on this apparent objective. Even then, there\u2019s no guarantee that any such move would be successful. China\u2019s Android ecosystem is dominated by a number of third-party app stores, including 91 Wireless (acquired by Baidu for $1.9 billion in 2013<\/a>), Alibaba-owned\u00a0Wandoujia<\/a>, and offerings\u00a0from Tencent<\/a> and Xiaomi<\/a>.<\/p>\n China\u2019s colossal base of over 730 million internet users has turned it into an important market for mobile. The country recent overtook the U.S. to become\u00a0the world\u2019s most lucrative market for iOS app developers<\/a>, and its a market where Google has little footprint. The company connected China-based developers with its global app store footprint two years ago<\/a>, but it\u2019s no surprise that Google is reported to be exploring the possibilities inside China.<\/p>\n Featured Image: crystal51<\/a>\/Shutterstock<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"\"](\"https:\/\/tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com\/2016\/06\/shutterstock_325058183.jpg?w=680\")
Google has reintroduced its Translate mobile apps to China, where they can now be accessed and used without the need for software to\u00a0bypass local censorship. The U.S. tech giant left China\u00a0more than seven years ago when it redirected its local search engine to Hong Kong\u00a0and many of its services are censored in the country.\u00a0Today’s low-key relaunch marks the first time it has revived… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n\n<\/img><\/a>
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