How to translate a menu with your iPhone camera
Last updated October 25, 2026
Open a camera translator, point it at the menu and read the text in your language on screen. Passport Buddy translates text from the camera between 21 languages. Check dish names and allergy details with the staff, because machine translation can miss context.
Get Passport Buddy on the App StorePoint and read
Open Passport Buddy, choose the menu's language and your own, and point the camera at the text. The translation appears over the page.
Steady and well lit
Hold the phone still and keep the menu flat and lit. Curved or glossy menus can confuse any camera reader.
Check what matters
For allergies or dietary needs, ask the staff and show them the translated line. Do not rely on a machine translation alone.
Offline for travel
With Pro, you can download your languages before you fly so translation keeps working without a signal.
Questions
Can my iPhone translate a menu?
Yes, with a translator app that reads text from the camera. Passport Buddy translates camera text between 21 languages.
Does it work offline?
Yes, with Pro. Download your languages and the offline caption model before you fly.
Is it accurate for allergies?
Treat it as a guide. Confirm allergy and dietary details with the restaurant.
Is Passport Buddy free?
It is free to download, but using it requires Passport Buddy Pro. The price is shown in the app before you buy.
Which languages are supported?
21 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Turkish.
Passport Buddy is published by Block Browser INC. Translation is machine-generated and can be wrong, so confirm anything important.