How to use ChatGPT Translate: What OpenAI’s new AI tool can and can’t do

OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT Translate, a standalone web-based tool designed to make one of ChatGPT’s most-used features—language translation—faster, simpler and more accessible. The launch places OpenAI in more direct competition with Google Translate, long the default choice for everyday translation across the internet.

For users curious about how the new service works, here is a step-by-step look at what ChatGPT Translate can do, and where it still falls short.

Step 1: Access the Tool

ChatGPT Translate is available at chatgpt.com/translate. Unlike the main ChatGPT interface, the translation site does not currently require users to log in. This lowers friction for casual or one-off use, particularly for quick translations.

The interface will look familiar to anyone who has used Google Translate: two large text boxes dominate the screen—one for the original text and one for the translated output—with dropdown menus to select the source and target languages.

Step 2: Choose Languages and Translate Text

Users select the language they are translating from and the language they want to translate into. OpenAI says the tool supports more than 50 languages, including English, Spanish, Japanese and Arabic.

Once text is pasted into the input box, the translation appears almost instantly in the output box.

Step 3: Adjust Tone and Style

Where ChatGPT Translate differs most from traditional translation tools is in its emphasis on tone and context. Users can prompt the system to rewrite translations in specific styles—such as more fluent, more business formal, or simplified for easier understanding—using built-in options.

This reflects OpenAI’s broader pitch: that its models translate meaning, not just words, by accounting for idioms, context and intent.

Step 4: Ask Follow-Up Questions

Because the tool is powered by ChatGPT, users can ask follow-up questions about phrasing, grammar or alternative word choices. This turns translation into a more interactive process, particularly useful for professional writing or learning a new language.

What the Tool Cannot Do—Yet

Despite references on the site to translating voice and images, ChatGPT Translate currently lacks several features that Google Translate users may expect. There is no visible support for image uploads, document translation (such as PDFs), or real-time voice translation through the web interface.

By contrast, Google Translate has offered image-based translation, live conversation modes and document uploads for years, and has recently expanded these capabilities using its Gemini AI models.

How It Stacks Up Against Google Translate

Google Translate remains more feature-rich and deeply integrated across devices and platforms, including mobile apps and browser extensions. It also offers language-learning tools, such as practice sessions and usage streaks, which ChatGPT Translate does not currently provide.

OpenAI’s advantage lies in nuance and customization. The ability to shape tone and ask follow-up questions may appeal to professionals, writers and users who need more than literal translation.

What This Signals for OpenAI

The launch of ChatGPT Translate points to a broader strategy: breaking ChatGPT’s capabilities into focused, everyday tools that compete directly with established consumer products. Rather than positioning itself solely as a conversational assistant, OpenAI is increasingly targeting core internet utilities.

Whether users will shift away from Google Translate remains uncertain. But ChatGPT Translate makes one thing clear: translation is no longer just a feature—it is a battleground.