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iPhone and iPad users can set Google Translate as the default translation app

The Google Translate app for iOS and iPadOS has been updated with an important feature. Users can now set it to be the default translation app on iPhone and iPad.

Prior to this, users had only once choice, to use Apple's Translate app to handle translation requests when selecting text, or via requests through Siri. Apple released the iOS 18.4 update in April this year to allow users to choose the default apps that they want to use for translation, media playback, navigation, browser, and email. These changes are not exclusive to users in Europe, they are available globally.

Google Translate's latest update takes advantage of the new capabilities in Apple's ecosystem. To set Google Translate as the default translation service on iOS, open the Settings app > Apps > Default Apps > Translation, and choose Google Translate.

As 9to5Mac observes, the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) played a crucial role in many changes that have impacted iOS and iPadOS. It was the regulatory pressure from EU's law that mandated Apple to open up core system functionalities to third-party developers, in order to allow more choice for users, and ensure fair competition among services. This is also the reason why Apple introduced options to set the default apps for browsing, messaging, navigation, and translate. It is certainly nice to see that Apple didn't restrict the new capabilities to users in the European region, unlike the ability to sideload apps, install third-party app marketplaces which were limited to users in the EU.

Apple has had some trouble with the law lately, a U.S. Federal Judge found the company guilty of willfully violating an injunction related to unfair practices on the App Store, and ordered it to open up its ecosystem to allow third-party payment methods. Brazilian regulator, CADE, has warned Apple that its anti-steering rules are illegal.

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