To speak in one language and get written text in another, you need two steps in one tool: speech recognition turns your voice into text, and translation turns that text into the language you pick. For a live conversation with someone, a speech translator such as Google Translate's live translate is the right tool. For writing something, like an email, a message or notes, a dictation app that translates is better, because you get a finished text you can read, edit and send. Retexta does the second kind in 50+ languages on Android.
Which tool fits your situation?
| You want to | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Talk with someone who speaks another language | A live speech translator, such as Google Translate's live translate | Built for turn-taking; translations can be read aloud |
| Write an email or message in a language you do not write well | A dictation app with translation, such as Retexta | You speak freely and get a finished, sendable text |
| Translate a voice message or recording you received | An app that imports audio and translates | You get the content in your language as text |
| Get a transcript in the original language only | Plain voice to text | No translation step, so nothing to double-check twice |
Live conversations: Google Translate
Google's help page for the Translate app on Android describes live translate: open the Translate app, tap live translate at the bottom, and pick the mode and the languages. In Conversation mode, according to Google, "Translations play out loud on your phone speakers or headphones. Take turns speaking." That is made for talking, not for writing a text you want to send later.
Written text in another language with Retexta
Retexta is a cloud voice to text and AI writing app for Android. You speak in your own language, and Retexta writes the result in the language you choose. You do not need to tell the app which language you speak: it sends your recording for automatic language detection.
Option 1: Translate what you say
- Open Retexta and tap New task.
- Tap More templates, then Translate.
- Under Translation style, choose how close the result stays to what you said:
- Literal: keeps wording, structure and length.
- Faithful: an idiomatic translation that keeps structure and intent. The app calls this "best for most translations".
- Adaptive: understands what you mean and writes an optimized version, with headings or structure when that is clearly implied.
- Add your input: Record audio and speak, or Import audio, Paste text or Upload screenshot or PDF if you already have something.
- Under Language, pick the target language. Use Search languages or View all languages if yours is not among the first ones.
- Tap Create translation. Retexta transcribes on its servers and writes the translation.
Option 2: Write a message in another language
When the goal is an email or chat message, start with the writing goal instead:
- Tap New task, then Write a message, and pick the message type, for example Email.
- Record audio and say what the message should say, in your own language: who it is for, what you want, the details.
- On the result screen, use Change language to get the message in the language of the person you write to.
This way the app writes a proper email with greeting and sign-off, in the other language, instead of translating your spoken sentences one by one.
Translate, Write a message, changing the result language, Import audio and Upload screenshot or PDF are part of Retexta Pro. Retexta is free to try: new users get a few free Pro results to view in the app. The Transcript only goal, under More templates, gives you the text in the language you spoke. Copying, sharing, exporting and screenshots need Retexta Pro or credits, and so does everything after the free results.
Example: spoken English, Spanish message
We wrote this example ourselves. It shows the idea; it is not real app output, and your results will look different.
What you say, in English:
Message to Lucia, the landlady in Valencia. Say thanks for the quick reply. We arrive Saturday around nine in the evening, not in the afternoon, because our flight was moved. Ask if she can leave the keys in the lockbox, and if she needs the code for the parking garage from us or if she sends it.
What you get back (Write a message, WhatsApp, language: Spanish):
Hola Lucía, ¡gracias por responder tan rápido! Llegaremos el sábado sobre las nueve de la noche, no por la tarde, porque nos cambiaron el vuelo. ¿Podrías dejar las llaves en la caja de seguridad? Y sobre el garaje: ¿nos envías tú el código o lo necesitas de nosotros?
If you cannot read the target language well, run a quick check: switch the result language back to your own language and see whether the meaning survived.
Tips for better results
- Speak in full thoughts, not word by word. The AI needs context to choose the right words in the other language.
- Say names, places and numbers clearly. Check them in the result: they are what matters most and what is easiest to get wrong.
- Stick to one language per recording when you can. If you mix languages, read the result especially carefully.
- Say the tone you want: "polite", "short", "informal". It carries over into the other language.
- Check before you send. Retexta marks results with "AI-generated. Check important details." For anything important, ask a native speaker to read it.
Official documents
For your own emails and messages, an app translation is fine once you have checked it. If an office, school or court asks for a certified translation, an app translation does not replace it.
Keep reading
To write emails by voice in your own language, see how to dictate an email on Android. Writing in English as a second language? Read our tips for non-native speakers. For voice messages you received, read how to convert a WhatsApp voice message to text, and for recordings on your phone, how to transcribe a voice memo on Android. More about the app: Retexta, voice to text for Android.
Sources
Checked by FLAME Apps on September 25, 2026.
- Google Translate Help, Hear live speech to speech translations with live translate (Android): steps and Conversation mode.
- Retexta: goal names, translation styles, input options, language picker, message types and plans as shown in the app (release 2026.1.23) and on its Google Play listing ("WORKS IN 50+ LANGUAGES"); automatic spoken-language detection is the app's default for recordings.
- Example: written by FLAME Apps for this page.
