How to translate Japanese game menus on iPhone

Menus and voices need different inputs

A button labelled in Japanese needs text recognition. A spoken line needs speech recognition. If a scene includes both, decide which you need most at that moment: use Screen while reading a menu, stop it, then use Sound for a dialogue scene. These two modes cannot run together.

Start with a paused menu or quest log

In Hono Translate, choose Screen and Chinese as the translation language. Complete any required language download, tap Start translating screen and confirm the system sharing sheet. Tap below the sheet, wait for the subtitle window and return to the game. Open one menu or quest entry and pause before moving on.

Drag the translation away from the controls. If the game supports larger UI text or a dialogue history, use it: a still, readable panel is easier to translate than a line that disappears during an animation. Keep the original button positions in view because the translation is shown separately.

When to switch to sound translation

For spoken scenes, set Japanese as the spoken language and choose the translation language in Sound mode. Start sharing, then return to the game. It can take available playback audio even with headphones; it does not depend on the phone hearing its own speaker. Background music, character names and overlapping voices can still cause errors.

What this does not turn into a localisation patch

The game still displays its original text and layout. Hono shows a separate translation to help you understand it. It does not repair comic-style bubbles, preserve every line break or automatically give invented names an official translation. Small fonts, vertical text, stylised lettering and fast auto-advance are harder cases.

Test with the game you actually play

Try one menu, one quest description and one spoken scene separately before buying. Check whether the text is readable, whether the window blocks controls and whether audio is available to iOS sharing. A protected game screen or a scene that cannot pause may not be a good fit. Sound and Screen require an iPhone on iOS 26 or later and available language models.

Questions

Can I keep Japanese audio and read Chinese?

Yes, try Sound with Japanese as the spoken language and Chinese as the target. The game keeps playing its own audio.

Will it translate every fast dialogue box?

No guarantee. Pause or use the game dialogue history when possible. OCR needs a readable view of the words.

Does it modify my game account or files?

It reads the authorised screen or available playback audio and shows a translation. It does not install a game patch.

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