Pixel Folds’ two-screen translation is a great feature, but it’s in the wrong place

The Pixel Fold uses its two screens with an Assistant feature that translates your speech and displays it on the other side of the fold. This function is well done, but Google put it in the wrong app.

There’s a subset of features across the entire Pixel lineup that fall under the Google Assistant experience. Voice Assistant is there to make things a little easier, giving you quicker access to tools instead of dedicated apps.

One area where this distinction is prevalent is the Pixel Fold’s unique feature. Using the Assistant, users can ask the Fold to be their translator with translator mode. Doing so will open a Google Translate-type interface that provides a minimal experience. One of the attractions of this feature is the dual screen translation mode.

Dual Screen Translate allows you to open the Pixel Fold and display your translated speech on the outer screen, the screen that is in a bilingual conversation with you and the person you’re talking to. This approach is really smart and allows you to subconsciously face someone while putting on a translation device.

Unfortunately, this is a feature Only It’s available in Google Assistant and not in the Google Translate app on the Google Pixel Fold. The interface of the Translate app is very similar to that of other Pixel phones, with minor changes to the larger screen size for the built-in display. However, Google is missing a huge opportunity here.

For situations where you’re on the go and all set to open and ready the Translate app, you’d hope a feature like Dual Screen Translate was available for you to use. The experience between translator mode and the native translation app is less than seamless and does not provide a smooth experience.

Translations provided in Google Translate are saved in a recorded history, and languages ​​can be downloaded for offline use. None of these options are offered through Assistant-powered functionality, and the feature lacks the reliability that comes with a dedicated app. At one time, users could add a translator shortcut to the home screen for easier access, though that solution seems to have since been removed from the Play Store.

It makes perfect sense to add a dual screen functionality to the native translation app with a dedicated button similar to what Assistant uses. The functionality is there, and the ability to blend it is clearly there, but it’s limited to an Assistant-only experience.

With the Fold currently struggling to match the Pixel series that preceded it, the Fold needs some special features to make it even more valuable, given that it still retails for close to $2,000. A dedicated dual-screen feature in the Translate app is working to support it, but it looks like it’ll remain a Google Assistant experience for now.