I use Google Translate extensively in South Korea and Japan. But it’s far from being the best free translation app out there. The problems that I always encounter with Google Translate are,
- Difficult to copy and paste text on a chat app: This is the most annoying of all. Whenever I use LINE or KakaoTalk, or even WhatsApp to chat with someone, I need to copy and paste every single text between Google Translate and the messaging app.
- The conversation translation function is dodgy: It’s hard to talk with someone because it can’t properly detect who is talking in what language.
- The voice-to-text function is not accurate: Especially when you’re in a noisy area or talking fast.
- Not accurate when it comes to Japanese or Korean translation: The translation often sounded rude or unnatural.
Therefore, we set up to build an app that is much better than Google Translate, and I assigned myself to be the ultimate tester for this app. We called it BiiB, the multilingual messenger.
It’s like a Chat App But With Auto-Translation
It works like your LINE or KakaoTalk, but each message is automatically translated into the receiver’s language. For example, if you’re a Japanese and you sent a message to a Korean tourist, the message will be translated into Korean language on the Korean’s phone. So, no more copying and pasting text on Google Translate. Just chat and let this app take care of the translation work.
Below is a demo video showing a conversation between a Japanese hotel and an English-speaking hotel guest.
Because this app is built to be a messaging app, you can communicate with anyone face-to-face or remotely, when the person is not in front of you.
You Don’t Have to Pass Your Phone Around
An unnatural way to communicate with Google Translate is the need to show my phone to the other person, and then let them use my phone to type.
Because the Google Translate UI is written in my language, the person I’m trying to talk to doesn’t understand how to use it. Happens to me all the time in Korea and Japan. So, I feel there must be a better way to communicate in different languages.
That’s why the BiiB app doesn’t require you to hand over your phone to the other person. They could use their own phone to talk to you by just scanning your personal QR code on the app.
Once they scan your QR code using any standard QR code reader, they are redirected to their web browser, and they can start chatting with you in their language. They don’t even need to install the app.
But if they wish to install, they can just enter their username when installing. No email or phone number registration is required. We did a short video to demonstrate this quick process.
You Can Talk Fast
This means our app can hear what you’re saying, even if you’re a fast talker, especially Korean. It can detect your speedy voice and convert it to text precisely.
You Can View Your Conversation History
Like any other messaging app, your conversation is recorded on the app. You can easily review what was communicated based on the timeline and follow up from there. I understand this feature is highly needed in Japan.
You Can View the Original Message Before It Was Translated
Each chat screen has a button in the top right corner. Tap on the button, and it will reveal all the original text that was sent to you prior to translation.
Near Perfect Accuracy in Translation and Interpretation
Remember when I said the Japanese and Korean translations on Google Translate sometimes sounded strange and unnatural? Ok, so we tried to fix that. We use powerful AI models to improve our translation to make it as perfect as possible. We also tested it with shorthand words (“u” for you, “chk” for check), misspellings (“seperate”, “posible”), poor grammar, abbreviations, and even common idioms and proverbs.
It’s Free Forever
Yes, it’s as free as Google Translate, LINE, KakaoTalk, or even WhatsApp. Some asked us how will we ever make money, and our reply is always, “what you get from our app will always be free.” Hence, you will not be downgraded. Instead, we will continue to upgrade you with better features and bug fixes.
Summary
Perhaps it’s cliche to say we want to change the world – but it’s true! We want to make the world a better place by empowering people to break the language barrier and communicate with one another more effectively and efficiently. So, the next time you need to talk with someone without knowing their language, go to Google Play or Apple App Store and download BiiB.