The Google Translate app “hides” a dual-screen conversation mode

Recently, Google launched the Pixel 9 Pro Fold as its second foldable smartphone. So far, the company has only released foldables in “book” format, unlike other companies that also have “clamshell” foldable devices. The book format has some functional advantages that make these devices more practical and even productive. With that in mind, Google added a dual-screen conversation mode for Google Translate.

Google Translate dual-screen conversation mode was one of Pixel Fold’s attractions

Actually, the dual-screen conversation mode for Translate has been around for a while now. Users of the original Pixel Fold could activate it through a Google Assistant command. The only way to activate the mode was through a Google Assistant command, which was somewhat annoying and impractical. It appears Google wanted to make it a device-exclusive feature. Anyway, the company listened to users and took action, albeit quietly.

As spotted by Android Authority, Google Translate includes a way to enable the dual-screen conversation mode directly from the Translate app without resorting to Assistant. Interestingly, it seems that the company made the change months ago. However, since Google didn’t say anything about it, not many people noticed the change. The current implementation may not be intuitive, but enabling the mode is easy once you know how.

It’s worth noting that the mode is not exclusive to any particular device. You can try enabling it on any brand’s foldable phones. However, there are models where it won’t work, as it requires the manufacturer to implement Android’s dual-display mode API. Currently, the mode works fine on Pixel foldables and select Galaxy Fold devices (like the Z Fold 6).

Here’s how to enable it

Google Translate’s dual-screen conversation mode enables multiple participants in a conversation to view simultaneous translations on both of the foldable device’s screens. The phone must adopt a certain form factor so that each party can see one of the screens. This makes communication between people from different countries much easier.

To enable the mode, you must first unfold your device and open Translate. Then, tap the “Conversation button” > tap the dual-chat icon (top right) > tap the folding phone icon. A “Dual screen is on” notification will let you know that everything went well.