As of the 2/20/2025 MyRec.com system update, you may have noticed that the “Translate Site” tool has been removed from the footer area on your public site. We wanted to provide some additional information about why this has happened and what you can do to continue serving your community members who may require translation support to interact with your website.
Why was the translation tool removed?
The “Translate Site” feature was a widget created and managed by Google. The tool used Google Translate to take the content of the webpage and translate it to a chosen language.
This widget was discontinued by Google in 2019 and has not worked as intended since. No explanation was given for why the tool was going away, but since 2019, it has not been updated or supported by Google. Over the years, MyRec.com decided to keep the tool in the footer as long as it worked, with or without still being supported by Google.
We have received many comments recently from our clients that the translation widget is no longer usable; specifically, the language selection is cut off, preventing most of the language choices from being accessible to click. After completing some research into other options and possible solutions, MyRec.com has decided to remove the tool entirely to avoid confusion and frustration for end users.
How can the sites be translated now?
Fortunately, even without the translator tool, there are many, easy ways for your community members to translate your site.
Google Translate Website
The most universal method for translating a website is to use Google Translate directly.
- In your web browser, navigate to translate.google.com
- Click the button labeled Websites
- Paste the desired website URL into the Website field
- Just above the Website field, on the right-hand side, select the desired output language
- Click the blue arrow button and a new window/tab will open with the translated website
In-Browser Translation
These solutions will vary depending on the type of device being used and the web browser.
-
Google Chrome
- Instructions provided for Chrome on a Windows (PC) computer, Mac computer, iPhone, or Android device
-
Microsoft Edge
- Instructions provided for Edge on a Windows (PC) computer. Edge is not available on mobile devices or tablets
-
Safari and iPhone / iOS
- iPhones automatically translate all web content based on the language settings on the device itself
- The instructions outline how to set the device's language and region, if that has not already been establish for the user
- FireFox
- Windows (PC) computer and Mac computer instructions
- Android device instructions
- FireFox for iPhone (iOS) does not currently offer translation services
- Samsung Internet (Samsung Galaxy devices)
- Translator for Samsung Internet (opens Galaxy App Store)
- Website translation availability is inconsistent among Samsung Galaxy devices, but there is a free app provided by Samsung that can be downloaded and used to translate web content