Gmail can translate a message without changing your account’s interface language. The translation banner may appear when a message’s language differs from your preferred settings. You can also request translation manually and choose another target language.
Translate in Gmail on a computer
- Open the individual message you want to read.
- If Gmail shows a translation banner, inspect the source and target languages before using it.
- If the banner is absent or was dismissed, open the message’s More menu and choose Translate message.
- Use the translation area’s language drop-down to select the language you want.
Keep the original available for comparison. Translation is a reading aid, not an alteration of the sender’s original message or a correction to a document attached to it.
Use the app’s translation controls
On Android and iPhone or iPad, open the message, tap More, and choose Translate message. Google’s mobile guidance describes changing the target language through the translation settings at the top.
Google states that this feature is for Google Accounts and does not extend to messages in IMAP accounts. Adding another provider’s account to the Gmail app does not necessarily give its messages the same translation controls.
Review language detection and sensitive meaning
A short email, mixed-language text, or a mostly image-based message may not provide enough ordinary text for a useful translation. If the detected source language looks wrong, correct it where the controls allow and compare a recognizable sentence.
For a contract, payment instruction, medical detail, or other high-consequence wording, verify names, numbers, negation, and dates against the original. Ask the sender or a qualified translator to clarify ambiguity. Do not treat a fluent translation as proof that a suspicious message is authentic.
If you disabled automatic translation prompts for a language, use the manual menu when needed. Changing the Gmail display language or reinstalling the app is not the first remedy for a missing banner, and confidential text should not be copied into an unapproved external translation service.
Browse Gmail & Google Account help
References
Reviewed against the linked product guidance, standards, and identified vendor or public-authority guidance on October 29, 2026. Available options and screen labels can vary by account, device, region, and organization policy.