The Overly Helpful Translator
Microsoft Edge includes a built-in translation engine designed to make the foreign web accessible. Whenever it detects that a webpage is written in a language that does not match your operating system’s default language, it automatically pops up a prompt offering to translate the page. In some cases, it may even automatically convert the text before you have a chance to decline. For multilingual users who comfortably read several languages, or language learners trying to immerse themselves in foreign text, this constant interference is incredibly annoying.
How to Turn Off the Translation Feature Completely
If you never want Microsoft Edge to offer translation services for any website in any language, you can disable the engine entirely.
1. Open the Microsoft Edge browser.
2. Click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner.
3. Select Settings.
4. In the left-hand menu, click on Languages.
5. Scroll down to the Translation section.
6. Locate the toggle switch labelled Offer to translate pages that aren’t in a language I read.
7. Click the toggle to turn it Off.
Managing Specific Languages
If you still want the translator to help you with languages you genuinely don’t understand (like Japanese or Russian) but want it to stop bothering you about a specific language you are fluent in (like Spanish), you should use the language whitelist instead of disabling the feature entirely.
Leave the main translation toggle turned On. Under the “Preferred languages” section at the top of the page, click the Add languages button and add the language you are fluent in (e.g., Spanish). Once added, click the three dots next to that specific language in your list and ensure the checkbox for Offer to translate pages in this language is unticked. Edge will now ignore Spanish websites but continue to offer help on everything else.