Google Translate issue

f13a-6c3a

Not sure if it's an issue with my setup or Google Translate and would appreciate someone helping with this. The description for Google Translate has this:
• Offline: Translate with no internet connection (59 languages)
So, I installed GT, downloaded the languages I need for "offline" functionality then removed network permission - the app would not translate anything to anything (text or voice), just shows "Can't translate. Check your connection and try again.
Now, if I allow network permission AND turn ON Airplane mode - the app is able to translate text but no voice dictation, so, kind of "offline" translation. Voice dictation only works with network permission AND internet connection regardless of what "Data usage - Prefer network text-to-speech" is set is set for.

Is this how Google Translate works for everyone? If not, then it must be something in my config preventing it to work properly.

unwat

f13a-6c3a

I think this is similar to an issue others are having with offline voice typing with GBoard. Obviously, since these apps are closed-source, we cannot know for sure what's going on.

However, my best guess is that the app checks system info like whether airplane mode is on, wifi is connected, etc. (some connectivity status info is accessible by apps). Since the system reports that it's connected to the internet, the app tries to do translation online. It'll only do offline translations if the system reports the system is offline.

Since network permission is an added GOS feature, apps can't cleanly detect whether they have access or not using a system API. GT and GBoard clearly don't fall back to offline data if there's an issue with the apps' connectivity.

I'm sure Google knows people block their apps' network access with VPNs or firewalls, but I'm also sure they don't care about our app experience because we're "DeGooglers," so they don't bother to make it work for us.

graphenesiren

f13a-6c3a Was there ever a resolution to this problem or do we just need to Allow Network Access (whether on Airplane Mode or not) at all times for Google Translate to work?

NewUser

f13a-6c3a Google translate is now working offline.

f13a-6c3a

unwat I was suspecting it was something like that as revocation of the network permission is not a "standard" Android feature and it could be messing up apps mechanism determining online or offline mode.
But, strange you mention Gboard offline - I have no problem with offline voice typing while both Gboard and Speech Services by Google (SSbG) not having Network permission. I can use Gboard voice typing or text to speech of SSbG.

unwat

f13a-6c3a I have no problem with offline voice typing while both Gboard and Speech Services by Google (SSbG) not having Network permission.

Same here with GBoard the time I tried it. I don't understand why others are having issues with GBoard, like in this thread. At the end of the day, who knows how these Google apps work.

I just tried the offline Google Translate thing. I get the same results as you.

I personally use DeepL. It also requires network access, but at least it's not a Google app so it doesn't bother me. It's not as good as Google Translate, but it still works well enough for me.

f13a-6c3a

GT needs network permissions to translate, I haven't heard of any other solutions

graphenesiren

f13a-6c3a Unfortunate that Google Translate needs the permission whether or not there is a network to access.

NewUser

This ils ont an issue. Google made it si deliberately. Google Offline translation is a fake. Google cannot live without peoples data.

[deleted]

NewUser proofreading (saves you a lot of trouble and) is a mother of all wisdom

NewUser

[deleted] if it's a bug, please give us a workaround. Google translate needs internet access to work even when using its so called offline translation. You're not going to tell me this is a bug.

f13a-6c3a

NewUser I think that's because this release of GrapheneOS changed on how it reports absence of network permission to the app, instead of older method (not sure what it was) now system reports "API down", which, apparently, handled much gracefully by apps but the result is the same. Great work, much appreciated!

matchboxbananasynergy

f13a-6c3a Indeed, fairly certain that's the case. Similar behavior was reported with Gboard when its network permission was denied (offline features not working without network permission but would work if you enabled network permission but had no connection). This change should allow that offline functionality to work without the permission now.

[deleted]

Sorry if this is a bit off-topic, but it's true that voice transcription on gboard doesn't work with revoked NETWORK authorization. But what you need to do is install Google Speech Services, download the languages, revoke Internet access, and then select " Google voice Input" each time you want to do a voice transcription (by clicking on the keyboard icon at the bottom right of the screen).

The icon only appears if multiple keyboards are enabled (e.g. AOSP keyboard and Gboard), I believe.