Is Speech and Text Translator for iMessage free?

Yes, Speech and Text Translator for iMessage is completely free to download and use.

What do people think of Speech and Text Translator for iMessage?

Speech and Text Translator for iMessage users feel upset, based on 29 reviews with a 1.3/5 average rating. Common frustrations: Inability to Uninstall, Non-Functional Core Features.

What does Speech and Text Translator for iMessage do?

Speech and Text Translator for iMessage's key features include iMessage Integration, Voice-to-Voice Translation, Text-to-Text Translation.

Who are Speech and Text Translator for iMessage's rivals?

Key competitors include Translate Now - AI Translator, Voice Translator: AI Translate, DeepL Translate.

What are Speech and Text Translator for iMessage's strengths and weaknesses?

Strengths: Native iMessage extension integration; Voice-to-voice capability (standard feature). Weaknesses: Abandoned codebase (last updated 2016); Critical technical failure (impossible to uninstall).

Is Speech and Text Translator for iMessage worth it in 2026?

Speech and Text Translator for iMessage is a struggling utilities app that is completely free. With a 1.3/5 rating from 29 reviews, it struggles with user retention.

Speech and Text Translator for iMessage

By Sepia Software

Speech and Text Translator for iMessage★1.3 (29)

Sepia Software

App Store →

Report updated Apr 17, 2026

Speech and Text Translator for iMessage

BySepia Software

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For iMessage users who need a quick, convenient way to communicate across language barriers while texting.

TL;DR:Speech and Text Translator for iMessage is a legacy utility app that provides voice and text translation within the iMessage interface. User mood: Upset. This app is a defunct legacy product that currently functions as a reputational liability.|TL;DR:Speech and Text Translator for iMessage is a legacy utility app that provides voice and text translation within the iMessage interface. User mood: Upset. This app is a defunct legacy product that currently functions as a reputational liability.

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What is Speech and Text Translator for iMessage?

Speech and Text Translator for iMessage is a legacy utility app that provides voice and text translation within the iMessage interface. Launched in 2016 and un-updated since, it is currently non-functional and perceived by users as 'scamware' due to its inability to be uninstalled and lack of working features. It has been entirely superseded by modern AI translators and system-level iOS tools.

Current Momentum

v1.0.0 · 116mo ago

Zombie

The app has not received a feature update since its initial release in 2016 and is currently in zombie status.

AI-powered deep analysis surfacing high-signal insights. Still in beta, accuracy improves daily. For informational purposes only.

Active Nemesis

Translate Now - AI Translator

By Air Apps Systems

Other Rivals

7-Day Rank Pulse 🇺🇸

Utilities

No ranking data

Utilities ProductivityGrossing

Rating Pulse 🇺🇸

Overall1.3(29)

Latest1.3(29)

Recent User MoodAI-powered deep analysis surfacing high-signal insights. Still in beta, accuracy improves daily. For informational purposes only.

What makes this app unique?

What Does It Look Like?

How Is The App's Momentum Right Now?

What Are The Key Features?

iMessage IntegrationDifferentiator

Allows users to perform translations directly within the iMessage interface without switching apps.

Voice-to-Voice TranslationStandard

Translates spoken input into a different language that can be heard by the recipient.

Text-to-Text TranslationBasic

Translates typed text into another language.

How much does it cost?

Free

Free to download and use

The app follows a legacy free model with no monetization, which aligns with its status as an abandoned utility.

Who Built It?

Sepia Software

View Publisher Intel →

Utilities

What other apps does Sepia Software make?

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Food & Drink

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News

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Social Networking

Background Music For Video +

Photo & Video

View all apps by Sepia Software

What do users think recently?

Medium confidence · 29 reviews analyzed

What is the recent mood?

Upset

“Recent user voice shows a upset sentiment. but report inability to uninstall and non-functional core features.”

What Frustrates Users

Inability to Uninstall

Non-Functional Core Features

Security and Fraud Concerns

What is the competitive landscape for Speech and Text Translator for iMessage?

How's The Utilities Market?

Market outlook for this category

Available very soon

The rivals identified

The Nemesis

Translate Now - AI Translator

★4.7 (342.1K)

Air Apps Systems

🔧

A high-velocity competitor that has effectively modernized the 'quick translation' niche with 12 releases in the last 6 months.

View Intel →

-
Users are happier — sentiment 56/100 vs 5
-
Higher rated at 4.7★ vs 1.3★
-
Offers an AR translation mode for real-world objects, moving beyond the target's text/voice-only scope.

Contenders

Why they challenge

Voice Translator: AI Translate

★4.4 (93.2K)

BPMobile

Directly targets the target app's core 'voice-to-voice' value proposition with a modern AI-driven stack and consistent update cadence.

View Intel →

Implements a 'Conversation Mode' that automatically detects languages, removing the manual toggle required in the target app.

Provides a 'Voice-to-Voice' history log that syncs across devices, solving the target's lack of message persistence.

DeepL Translate

★4.7 (405.2K)

DeepL SE

⚡

The current gold standard for translation accuracy, maintaining an aggressive release schedule (25 updates in 6 months).

View Intel →

Supports full document translation (PDFs and .docx), a professional-grade feature the target's casual iMessage tool lacks.

Offers 'Alternative Translations' for single words to help users find the correct nuance, whereas the target provides a single output.

Reverso translate and learn

★4.7 (278.8K)

Theo Hoffenberg

⚡

A strong alternative for users who want context and learning tools rather than just raw utility translation.

View Intel →

Provides contextual examples from real-world movies and documents to show how translated phrases are actually used.

Includes integrated flashcards and learning games based on the user's translation history.

Peers

What they do better

Microsoft SwiftKey AI Keyboard

★4.4 (4.5M)

SwiftKey

The most significant threat to the target's iMessage positioning by integrating translation directly into the system keyboard.

View Intel →

Translates text directly inside the iMessage text field without requiring the user to switch apps or open an extension.

Includes 'AI Tone' rewriting features that can change the sentiment of a message before it is sent.

Google Translate

★4.3 (9.1M)

Google

The dominant ecosystem player that defines the baseline features for the entire category.

View Intel →

Offers 'Offline Translation' for 50+ languages, a critical travel feature the target app lacks.

Features 'Instant Camera Translation' which overlays translated text on top of images in real-time.

Naver Papago - AI Translator

★4.6 (169.8K)

NAVER Corp.

A specialized peer that outperforms most general translators in Asian language pairs (Korean, Japanese, Chinese).

View Intel →

Includes a 'Papago Kids' section for language learning through visual cards, expanding the target audience to families.

Offers a 'Website Translator' that handles entire URLs while maintaining the original page layout.

Microsoft Translator

★4.3 (792.1K)

Microsoft Corporation

A productivity-focused peer that excels in multi-person and multi-device communication scenarios.

View Intel →

Supports 'Multi-Device Conversations' where up to 100 people can join a chat and see translations on their own devices.

Includes a 'Split-Screen' mode for two people to have a face-to-face conversation on a single iPhone.

New Kids on the Block

Where they disrupt

ChatGPT

★4.7 (44M)

OpenAI OpCo, LLC

🔧

While a general AI, its 2023 release and massive adoption have disrupted translation by offering conversational context.

View Intel →

Advanced Voice Mode

Image Generation

Voice Translator AI Translate

★4.7 (677)

AVALON SOFT OU

A 2023 entrant focusing on the 'all-in-one' utility model with modern AR capabilities.

The outtake for Speech and Text Translator for iMessage

SWOT Analysis

Core Strengths

Native iMessage extension integration
Voice-to-voice capability (standard feature)

Critical Frictions

Abandoned codebase (last updated 2016)
Critical technical failure (impossible to uninstall)
Reputation as a scam/virus among current users
Non-functional translation features

Growth Levers

Rebuild with modern LLM APIs for context-aware translation
Expand to system-wide keyboard extension to compete with SwiftKey
Implement offline translation to match Google Translate

Market Threats

Apple's native system-wide translation features
AI-integrated keyboards (SwiftKey) that work in all apps
Modern AI competitors like ChatGPT offering superior context

What are the next best moves?

high

Initiate immediate technical audit or app store takedown.

Sentiment data indicates the app is perceived as malware/scamware and is fundamentally broken, creating significant legal and reputational risk.

high

Pivot to a system-wide Keyboard Extension model.

Competitor analysis shows Microsoft SwiftKey and Google Translate have moved beyond iMessage-only focus to provide utility across all apps.

medium

Integrate Offline Translation mode.

Feature gap identified vs Google Translate, which offers offline support for 50+ languages.

Feature Gaps vs Competitors

Offline Translation (available in Google Translate)
AR/Camera Translation (available in Translate Now and Google Translate)
System-wide Keyboard Integration (available in Microsoft SwiftKey)
Context-aware AI translation (available in ChatGPT)
Automatic Language Detection (available in Voice Translator: AI Translate)

Key Takeaways

This app is a defunct legacy product that currently functions as a reputational liability. While the core concept of low-friction iMessage translation remains valid, the execution is entirely broken and has been surpassed by system-level tools; a total rebuild or retirement is the only viable path.

Where Is It Heading?

Declining

Last updated in 2016 — the app is effectively abandonware and technically obsolete.

Upset user base reporting 'viruses' and 'scams' — brand equity is severely compromised.

1.27-star rating with high-frequency complaints about inability to uninstall.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Speech and Text Translator for iMessage safe to use?

Recent user reviews express significant security concerns, with multiple reports labeling the app as a scam or fraud that installs unwanted files. Users also report being unable to delete the app once it is installed.

Why can't I delete the Speech and Text Translator app from my iPhone?

A high-frequency complaint among users is that the app becomes 'stuck' on the device and does not allow for standard uninstallation. This appears to be a technical failure in the app's legacy code.

What is a better free alternative for iMessage translation?

Microsoft SwiftKey and Google Translate are highly-rated alternatives. SwiftKey integrates translation directly into your keyboard for use in iMessage, while Google Translate offers robust offline and camera-based translation features.

Does this app work with the latest version of iOS?

The app has not been updated since September 2016. Recent reviews indicate it is 'simply broken' and 'unusable' on modern devices, with core voice and text features failing to function.