<img src="http://tctechcrunch2011.files./2015/01/google-translate.jpg?w=738">

Google Translate is already a hugely useful app for anyone who lives overseas or travels regularly, and it just got even smarter on mobile. A new update to the Android and iOS apps that is rolling out today introduces two very spiffy features: real-time voice and sign translation.

The app has already offered image-based translation, but now the magic occurs without any delay at all… and — best of all for regular travelers — it works offline.

The visual translation feature is activated when you select the phone camera option inside the app. You then simply point the camera at the sign that you want translated — ensuring that it is captured fully — and the app will translate it.