SayLens

A language camera for Chinese: point at a menu or sign and see how to say it.

Readings over the text

Tone-coloured Pinyin for Mandarin, or Jyutping or Yale for Cantonese, over every line, live in the camera and on the photo you take. Simplified and Traditional.

Meaning and a voice

Tap a line for its translation from Apple's on-device Translation, hear it in a Mandarin or Cantonese voice, or show it full screen to a waiter.

Made for busy menus

Turn readings off to see just a box around each line, then tap a box for its reading. Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

Private, works offline

No account and no data collected. Text is read on your iPhone, and translations work offline once the languages are downloaded.

Private by design

No account, no analytics, no ads, no tracking. The camera is used only to read text, and photos, scans and translations stay on your iPhone. Read the privacy policy.

What it reads

SayLens reads Chinese, in Simplified and Traditional characters, with Mandarin (Pinyin) and Cantonese (Jyutping or Yale) readings. Translations go into English or another language Apple's on-device Translation supports. SayLens is free for iPhone (iOS 26 or later), with no ads and no in-app purchases.