No Sound in the Google Translate App for the iPhone

Unless you're translating a phrase into pantomime, you should always be able to hear the words on the iPhone's Google Translate app whenever you tap the little Speaker icon beside the translation. If this isn't working, it could be a problem with the app or the iPhone itself. Before assuming any worst-case scenarios, take a few minutes to rule out obvious problems. Forgetting to update your apps and the iPhone's iOS happens to the best of us, as does accidentally turning the volume down. Once you've double-checked these problems, you may need to reinstall the app or reset your iPhone.

Before deciding there is a problem with the app or your iPhone, rule out some basic, but very common, problems. Begin by force-closing the app. Simply double-click the Home button and drag the Google Translate app up off the screen. If you have headphones or speakers plugged in, disconnect these and turn the iPhone's volume to the maximum level. Relaunch the Google Translate app and tap the Speaker icon beside any of your recent translations. If you don't hear any sound, try a new translation. At this point, if the app still doesn't have any volume, there is a problem with the app or the iPhone.

If Google Translate doesn't have any sound, other apps may have the same problem. Launch the Music app, a game, or any other app with sound and see if it's working properly. If other apps work normally, the problem is probably the Google Translate app. Touch and hold the "Translate" icon on the Home screen until it jiggles and then tap the red "X" on the icon to delete the app. Go to the app store, download the Google Translate app and try it again.

Restarting or resetting the iPhone can clear up many problems with apps. To restart the iPhone, press the Sleep/Wake button and then drag the red "Slider" on the screen. After the screen turns black, press the Sleep/Wake button to turn it on again. If this doesn't solve the sound problem, reset the iPhone. Connect the iPhone to a power source and then press the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button at the same time for several seconds until the screen goes black. Let go of the buttons and wait for the Apple logo to appear. When the iPhone turns back on, test the Google Translate app again.

The last course of action you should take is to reset the iPhone's settings. Tap the "Settings" icon on the Home screen, tap "General," then "Reset." Tap the "Reset All Settings" button and, once the iPhone comes back on, try the Google Translate app one more time. If this doesn't work, make a backup of your iPhone's data using iTunes or iCloud and then use the "Erase All Content and Settings" option. If the sound still isn't working on Google Translate, you may need to wait for the next app update. If no sound is working on your iPhone at all, contact Apple for support.

Information in this article applies to the iPhone using iOS 7 and Google Translate version 2.0.1, which doesn't actually have a pantomime option. It may vary slightly or significantly with other products or versions.