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PlayTranslate - Android Application for Playing Untranslated/Unlocalized Games

To people wanting to install PlayTranslate: Android is rolling out the blanket ban on unregistered app sideloading in September 2026 for Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand and 2027 worldwide. It's not clear yet if already installed apps will be deactivated, and I can't recall if PlayTranslate is yet registered, but considering the new process to sideload apps is cumbersome and requires a 24hr wait, it would be a good idea to install before the ban hits if you're in one of the areas that's going to be affected next month.
 
It's gives an accurate translation omg! Though offline one isn't all that accurate but this one's better than tap translate
 
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It's gives an accurate translation omg! Though offline one isn't all that accurate but this one's better than tap translate
 
Thanks for sharing :sourire:. I've always used textrator for the games I needed to translate, but it wasn't always reliable... I'm going to test this one.
 
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Thanks for sharing! I rarely play foreign-language games on my phone, so I haven't paid much attention to mobile translation apps. However, there's a foreign mobile game I want to play recently, and I happened to come across this recommendation post. The introduction of the tool is incredibly detailed, and it seems to have a comprehensive set of features. I look forward to trying it out soon. Thanks again for the recommendation!

(All content above is machine-translated; please excuse any awkward phrasing.)
 
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i remember times when i used to play with my android apps using kaku. this must save time so much more efficiently! thank you so much
 
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I had problems using this with reine des fleurs.. why did it happen? Does that game have difficult kanji? It couldn't even get a single dialogue correct (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)
 
Thank you so much for sharing this. There were a lot of old titles that weren't translated but now I can give it a try and be able to play them!
 

What's new V3.0.0


Link to the new update
  • Anki cards new UI and editable. Note types are built from real fields instead of one HTML blob, so you can edit cards in AnkiDroid and map any field onto your own note type. The Word and Sentence templates were redesigned: structured sense lists, pitch-accent tooltips, frequency ratings, your accent colour, and tap-a-word-to-jump-to-its-row on sentence backs.
  • Voice-line detection for game audio. Silero VAD separates speech from BGM in the captured audio and automatically snaps to it when you create an anki card or tap it.
  • Yomitan dictionaries render their embedded designs. NOTE: You will need to re-load Yomitan dictionaries for this update. Structured content, images, and per-dictionary styling now display instead of being flattened to plain text, and definitions cross to Anki as real HTML. Plus a per-dictionary "Check for Updates" row and a source-language override for dictionaries that do not declare one.
  • Diagonal and slanted text.NOTE: Does not work with MeikiOCR! if you need angled text support, please switch to PaddleOCR or MLKit. Angled dialogue and signage is detected, grouped, overlaid, and tappable at its true angle, furigana included.
  • Polish source language added
  • Gamepad and keyboard control. The capture sheet and the lens answer the dpad and sticks: left stick drags the panel edge, right stick scrolls everywhere in the app. Escape, arrows, and Enter mirror B, dpad, and A.
  • Translations are no longer fetched before you ask. Capture defers the backend call until something needs the result, and History can hold back the answer until you tap the row.
Fixes
  • Launch crash-loop on MuMu Player's Android 12 image when Bergamot offline models are installed
  • Arabic overlays now position correctly when the system language is set to Arabic
  • Gemini calls that hung past 20 seconds now time out at 8
  • Meiki OCR duplicate and disappearing lines
  • The hold spinner not appearing over a fullscreen game
  • Furigana blinking on clean captures
  • The camera shutter capturing the shaken frame instead of the steady one
  • Anki: silent loss when AnkiDroid refuses a screenshot, and the word tab stuck on "Looking up words..."​



Personal impressions:

I really like the new look of the dictionaries. If you're using one with a custom style, it will now appear, which is really useful.
I use hotkeys so I can switch between translation and furigana, which makes it really effortless.

If you want, you can also join the Discord server. The dev/admin appreciate feedback and seeing how people use the application.

I decided to share it since I've been following the app closely, and I hope more people will use it to play unlocalized games.

Little showcase
 

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I had problems using this with reine des fleurs.. why did it happen? Does that game have difficult kanji? It couldn't even get a single dialogue correct (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)

You could share screenshots of the game with the devs on Discord so he can use them to improve the application in future updates. There's a new update, so maybe it fixed :D
 
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PlayTranslate

First thing first, Nice to meet you all! This might be my second time posting here. But here we are. Today i want to introduce the application to translating untranslated/unlocalized games, any types of games you want it live using online or offline services. This application is currently available only on android. To be honest, this maybe not really convenient like LunaTranslator but i guess try it first?

Features

  • One-tap Translation: Capture the game screen and translate Japanese text with one tap
  • Auto Translation Mode: Automatically translates as dialogue changes, no tapping required
  • Word lookup: Hover the floating lens over any word for immediate dictionary definitionss
  • Offline: OCR and dictionary lookups work without an internet connection, with optional offline translation models
  • Furigana/Pinyin Mode: Show reading hints above characters in real time
  • Hotkey hold-to-preview: Configure a physical key to hold-to-preview translations or furigana, great for handhelds with dedicated buttons
  • Dual Screen & Split Screen: Works across both screens on dual-display devices like the Ayn Thor, or in Android split-screen alongside windowed games
  • Capture regions: Crop to just the dialogue box, subtitles, or any custom area
  • Text-to-speech: Hear text spoken aloud. Change the default voice in settings
  • Anki export: Save sentences to AnkiDroid with the original text, translation, word list, target words, text-to-speech, and a screenshot. Card type selection with presets for popular decks.
  • Yomitan integration: Yomitan dictionaries seamlessly integrate, including pitch accent, frequency chips, kanji enrichment, and merged term definitions everywhere (incl. Anki). Look for deeper integration in the future

Won't install?


On some Android devices, Google Play Protect blocks sideloaded APKs and shows a vague "App not installed" or "harmful app" warning. If that happens, temporarily disable the scanner:
  1. Open the Play Store
  2. Tap your profile icon (top right)
  3. Tap Play Protect
  4. Tap the gear icon (top right)
  5. Turn off Scan apps with Play Protect
Install the APK, then re-enable Play Protect afterward to keep scanning your other apps.

Can't enable accessibility?


PlayTranslate's core features run on a screen-recording permission, so most users never need to enable accessibility. A few advanced features (like hotkey hold-to-preview) will prompt you for it when you turn them on.

Some Android OEMs block sideloaded apps from receiving accessibility permissions by default — the toggle in Settings is grayed out or shows a "Restricted setting" message. To unblock it:
  1. Open Settings → Apps → PlayTranslate
  2. Tap the menu (top right)
  3. Tap Allow restricted settings
  4. Authenticate when prompted
You can now turn on accessibility for PlayTranslate.



There's 25 game languages (the text it can read off the screen) into 59 translation languages that's accessible. There's also AI language model available like DeepL, OpenAI, Gemini, DeepSeek available for user (with setting up the API key like usual) for enhance translation performance. For further information check it through here.


You can use Furigana mode or translation mode to use. But if you use furigana mode at least please memorize hiragana since there's no romaji mode. Anyway here's some screenshots example from me.

OCR + Translation Mode


Furigana Mode





Drag Mode + Translating Specific Kanji/Hiragana/Katakana


To enter this mode hold the bubble PlayTranslate pop up and drag it to the word you want to check you can add the specific word it to your Anki Droid deck and for learning purpose. Example:




↓↓↓↓ GET THE APP FROM ↓↓↓↓


DOWNLOAD:
GITHUB



WARNING: Precautions before you check the spoiler picture. The screenshots samples is from Dorothy Route from Over Requiemz. If you didn't mind about a bit text dialogue spoiler go ahead then! Don't worry there's no CG spoiler AT ALL!




Lastly, enjoy learning, translating and playing! I hope this is helpful. 兎に角スレッドをお読みいただき、有難うございます.
thank you so much!!