Translation

Question

I'm having difficulty trying to set up the translation feature. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Translation can be set up directly in Outlook and Teams. Steps depend on where translation is needed.

In new Outlook for Windows

1. Open Outlook.
2. To translate a message:
   • When an email arrives in another language, use the prompt at the top of the message and select Translate, or
   • Select More actions … in the message, then Translate.
3. To configure translation settings and language:
   • Go to the View tab > View settings.
   • Select Mail > Message handling.
   • Under Translation, choose:
     • Preferred translation language.
     • Whether to always translate, ask before translating, or never translate certain languages.
4. If Translate options or Translation settings are missing, enable Connected experiences:
   • On the View tab, select View settings.
   • Select General > Privacy and data.
   • Under Connected experiences, turn On for Experiences that analyze your content.

In classic Outlook for Windows

1. To translate an entire email:
   • Open the message.
   • Use the prompt at the top asking to translate, or
   • On the Home tab, select Translate > Translate Message, or
   • Select More actions … in the message and choose Translate.
   • After translation, use Show original to see the original text or Turn on automatic translation to always translate messages to the preferred language.
2. To translate only part of a message:
   • Select the text.
   • Right‑click and view the translation in the context menu.
   • When composing, select text, right‑click, and insert the translated text into the email.
3. To change translation preferences:
   • On the Home tab, select Translate > Translation Preferences.
   • Choose translation language and behavior (automatic, ask, or never translate).

In Outlook on the web / Outlook.com

1. Open the email written in another language.
2. Use the prompt at the top of the message or select More actions … > Translate.
3. Choose Translate message to replace the message text with translated text.
4. Use Show original message to switch back.
5. To change translation settings and language:
   • On the View tab, select View settings.
   • Select Mail > Message handling.
   • Under Translation, select the preferred options.

In Microsoft Teams (desktop)

1. To translate a single message:
   • Hover over the message.
   • Select More options > Translation > Translate.
2. To turn on automatic translation for incoming chat messages:
   • Hover over a message in another language.
   • Select More options > Translation > Turn on auto-translation.
3. To change translation settings:
   • Go to Settings and more > Settings > General > Translation.
   • Set Translate messages into this language.
   • Choose how to handle other languages: Ask me before translating, Auto-translate all messages, or Never translate.
   • Optionally add languages to Never translate messages in these languages.

If translation suddenly stops working and prompts like “We couldn't translate your message at this time” appear, ensure the Microsoft 365 apps are updated to the latest version and that network connectivity is available.

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References:

• Translator in Outlook for Windows
• Translate a message in Microsoft Teams
• Modern Translator in Microsoft 365
• Translate option is missing from Outlook