A translation function belongs in every browser. Firefox has long lagged behind the competition here, but in the new version, the browser can also translate web pages – with an interesting detail that sets it apart from Chrome and Edge.
Chrome users take it for granted that automatic translation can be used for foreign language websites. Microsoft Edge also has a built-in translation option.
But, the disadvantage is that these are cloud services, so Google or Microsoft processes the website content. Mozilla wanted to be more data-efficient and built the translation function locally into the browser.
The Firefox Translations function could already be used via an additional extension. With the current Firefox version 118, Firefox Translations is built directly into the browser as a function.
When you visit a foreign-language website, a small translation icon should appear in the address bar. After a mouse click, you can see which source language Firefox recognizes and which target language the browser offers for translation.
You can make adjustments here, but for a first pass, clicking “Translate” is sufficient, and Firefox will translate the web page.
You can also display the original again at any time or trigger the translation into another target language. The cogwheel icon takes you to the options, such as always or never translating certain languages, excluding certain websites, or managing language packages.
Translate web pages offline as well
Activating the translation function is no longer necessary; as of Firefox 118, it is automatically available when visiting a foreign-language website. In addition, users will find a new entry in Firefox’s main menu.
Only eight languages are currently offered: Bulgarian, English, French, Italian, Estonian, Dutch, Polish, Czech, Portuguese and Spanish. In addition, the feature is still marked as “beta.”
For a complete offline translation, you can download language packs. The download should be triggered automatically the first time you translate into a particular language. You can also download several languages as a precaution. This can be done via the settings in the “General” section.
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