Google Translate dies behind the Great Firewall. Tova doesn't. It's a camera + voice translator for travellers — point at any sign in 11 scripts, speak in 118 languages, see pinyin/romaji overlays in real time. Voice runs on-device via Whisper, and when the network blocks Google, on-device neural translation takes over automatically. Free on iOS, no sign-up. Pro adds offline phrase packs, glossary, and Baidu/DeepL/OpenAI engines.

Lightfield — AI-native CRM that builds itself and does work for you

AI-native CRM that builds itself and does work for you

Hey Product Hunt 👋 I'm Chinese — and for years I've been quietly embarrassed every time I traveled back. My family speaks Mandarin at home but I never learned to read the characters. I'd stand in front of a menu, a sign, a customs form, and just freeze. The translators I'd been using would tell me what each character meant, but never how to say it. I'd point at a dish, butcher the pronunciation, and watch the waiter smile politely the way you smile at a tourist. Here's what most translation apps miss: when you're actually traveling, the answer isn't enough. You need to ASK for the bathroom, not just know what "bathroom" is. You need to thank a taxi driver in a way that doesn't sound like a Google output. You need to read the dish you ordered out loud so the next person at your table can find it. Knowing what to say isn't the same as being able to say it. So Tova is built around a different assumption: the goal isn't translation, it's participation. What's inside: 🔤 Per-character pinyin / romaji / hangeul / RR overlays above every glyph in 11 scripts — so you can read it AND say it 🎙️ Two-way voice translation with on-device Whisper — your audio stays on the phone 📷 Live camera OCR for menus, signs, contracts, museum placards 🌏 118 target languages, all unlocked free 🇨🇳 Keeps working when the network doesn't — including in China without a VPN; on-device neural translation takes over automatically when the backend's blocked Pro ($49.99/yr) adds favourites, offline phrase packs, glossary, and non-Google engines (Baidu, DeepL, OpenAI). Pro Plus ($199.99/yr) unlocks Boardroom 3-way speech, document OCR, PDF upload, and a medical/legal domain pack. I'd love to hear what's missing, what you wish translation apps did better, and whether the heritage-speaker thing resonates with anyone else. 🌐 https://tovatranslate.app 🍎 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/to... (Android coming soon — happy to DM when it ships.)

If you are interested in trying out the app fully, please send me a dm! i will have some trial promo codes that will give you the full features for free for a short period. These codes will only be available during this launch so please let me know! thank you!

Lightfield — AI-native CRM that builds itself and does work for you

AI-native CRM that builds itself and does work for you

Tova Translate

The translator that works in China

The translator that works in China