New: Translate PDFs on Android with Xodo Mobile

Xodo Mobile for Android now includes built‑in PDF translation, letting you convert text into another language without using any third‑party tools. Learn all about the latest feature, what it does, how it works, and use cases for optimizing your workflow.

Xodo Mobile for Android just released an exciting new update: the app now includes built‑in PDF translation. This means you can translate PDF text into different languages without leaving the app.

If you have a contract, research paper, or supplier spec not in your language, one tap can translate the entire PDF. The layout stays intact, and the file is saved separately, so your original stays untouched. 

This feature adds another quick way to keep your PDF workflow going from anywhere with Xodo Mobile. Update or download Xodo on your Android device first to check it out while we walk you through the details. 

Here's a close look at how it works and when you'd actually use it.

• Why PDF translation on mobile matters
• What the new translation feature does
• How to use the translate document feature
• When to use the PDF translation feature

Why PDF translation on mobile matters

The problem with translating PDFs on mobile has never really been the translation itself. It’s everything around it. You leave the app, paste content into a web tool, lose the formatting, manually clean it up, then try to reconcile that output with the original document layout. For a two-page contract, it’s annoying. For a 40-page technical spec, it’s a real time sink.

The other issue is that most translation tools treat PDFs as an afterthought. They’re built for web pages or plain text. When you feed them a structured PDF (columns, tables, headers, footers), the output looks nothing like what you started with.

Xodo handles the translation inside the tool, which means it already understands the document structure. The formatting is preserved because Xodo never converts the file to plain text and back.

What the new PDF translation feature does

When you open a PDF in Xodo on Android, the Translate Document tool is accessible from the main toolbox or directly inside the viewer while you’re reading. You select your source language (or let Xodo auto-detect it), pick your target language, and Xodo processes the document.

The result is a new document saved in your working language. Not a copy-pasted text block. It's an actual PDF, formatted the same way as the original, in the language you need.

Your original file isn’t touched. You end up with both, which is useful when you’re working with a document that requires the source language for reference.

How to use the translate document feature

There are two ways to translate PDFs with the Xodo Android app:

From the Toolbox

1. Open Xodo Mobile and tap the Toolbox icon in the bottom navigation bar.
2. Scroll through the tools until you find Translate Document.
3. Select your document from Recent Files or browse your device storage.
4. Set your source and target languages, then let Xodo process the file.

From inside a document

If you’re already reading a PDF and realize you need it translated, you don’t have to back out. The translation option is accessible directly in the viewer’s toolbox. Select your languages and Xodo handles the rest. No app switching, no exporting.

A note on language settings

Auto-detect works well for clearly identifiable languages and removes one step from the process. If you’re working with a less common language or a document that mixes multiple languages, manually setting the source language gives you more control over the output.

The feature supports multiple target languages, so whether you’re translating a French legal brief into English or a Japanese supplier spec into Spanish, you’re covered.

When to use the PDF translation feature

A few practical situations where this comes up:

• International contracts: You’re reviewing a vendor agreement that came in from an overseas partner. You need to read it before signing, not after a 48-hour turnaround from a translation service.
• Research and technical documents: Academic papers and technical specs frequently come in languages other than your own. Getting a readable, formatted version in seconds changes how quickly you can work.
• Client-facing materials: If your team distributes documents to clients in different regions, translated copies can be generated directly in Xodo without sending files out to a third-party service.
• On the go: You’re in a meeting, someone hands you a document, and you need to get the gist of it fast. Translate it on your phone in the time it would have taken you to find your laptop.

Start translating your PDFs on Android 

Document translation is available now on Xodo Mobile for Android. Update to the latest version to access it. Look for the Translate Document tool in the Toolbox.

If you’re not using Xodo Mobile yet, download the Xodo Android app from the Google Play Store and try it out.