Support
How can we help?
Most questions are answered below. If yours isn't, we're happy to help.
Getting started
- Add translate me to Chrome. It needs desktop Chrome 138 or newer on Windows, macOS, Linux or ChromeOS.
- Reload any tabs that were open before you installed it.
- Click the toolbar icon and choose the language you want to read in.
- Select some text. The first time you use a language pair, Chrome downloads its model once. If the card shows a Download button, click it to start.
Keyboard shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Alt + Shift + T | Translate the selected text |
| Alt + Shift + H | Turn “translate text I select” on or off |
| Esc | Close the translation card |
On a Mac, Alt is the ⌥ Option key. To change shortcuts, open chrome://extensions/shortcuts. If another app already uses a shortcut, Chrome leaves it unset; the popup and Settings show which shortcuts are active.
Frequently asked questions
Nothing happens when I select text
Open the toolbar popup and check the Translate on select line:
- It may be off, or off for the current site. Click Show to change it.
- It may be set to show a button first or only with Alt held.
Also reload tabs that were open before installing or updating. Chrome doesn't let extensions run on chrome:// pages, the Chrome Web Store or the built-in PDF viewer.
It says Chrome's built-in translator isn't available
The translator is built into desktop Chrome 138 and newer. Update Chrome from Settings → About Chrome. Chrome on Android and iOS doesn't have it yet.
The card shows a “Download” button
Chrome needs to download the model for that language pair once, and it only starts a download after a click. Click Download; afterwards that pair works instantly, even offline.
It detected the wrong language
Very short selections, like a single word, can be ambiguous. Use the source-language menu at the top of the card to choose the right one. That card is re-translated immediately.
It says this embedded frame doesn't allow Chrome's translator
Some sites show content from another site inside a frame that blocks the built-in translator. Open that content in its own tab to translate it.
The voice sounds robotic, or has the wrong accent
- In Settings → Voice, pick a different voice for that language and press Test.
- Install more voices on your computer: on Windows, Settings → Time & language → Speech; on macOS, System Settings → Accessibility → Spoken Content.
- For natural neural voices, choose a natural-voice provider in Settings → Voice.
How do I use my own Azure Speech or ElevenLabs account?
In Settings → Voice, choose the provider, paste your key and click Connect & load voices. Chrome will ask permission for the extension to contact that service.
For ElevenLabs, the key needs the Text to Speech permission. Add Voices: Read to choose from your voice list, or paste a voice ID instead. A monthly character budget protects your credits.
Why does it need access to all websites?
To show the translation next to text you select, on whatever site you're reading, and to insert translations when you ask it to translate a page. It reads page text only when you select it or ask for a page translation, and that text stays on your computer. See the privacy policy for every permission.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Once Chrome has downloaded a language pair, translation works without an internet connection. Online voices need a connection; voices installed on your computer don't.
Is it really free?
Yes. It uses the translator that ships with Chrome, so there's no server bill to pass on. If it's useful to you, you can buy the developer a coffee.