Frequently Asked Questions

Only the first time you use a new language pair. Apple's Translation framework may need to download a language pack the first time you translate to any given language. Once that's downloaded, translation works fully offline — including furigana generation, which never requires internet at all.

Furigator is a one-time purchase. Buying it once on the App Store gives you full access on iPhone, iPad, and Mac — no subscriptions, no in-app purchases, no hidden fees.

No. There's no sign-up, login, or account of any kind — every feature works immediately after you install the app.

No. Translation happens on your device using Apple's built-in Translation framework, and photo scanning (OCR) happens on-device using Apple's Vision framework. Furigator has no servers of its own and does not transmit your text or images anywhere.

Furigator supports every language Apple's Translation framework supports on your device's OS version. You can manage downloaded language packs in your device's Settings. Separately, the app's own interface is available in 19 languages, so most users can use Furigator entirely in their native language.

Yes. Furigator has built-in text-to-speech, so you can hear the correct pronunciation of any word or passage, not just see the furigana reading.

Yes. The camera and OCR feature recognizes both vertical text (Tategaki), common in manga and novels, and horizontal text (Yokogaki).

Once enabled in Safari's settings, tapping the Furigator button in the toolbar automatically detects Japanese text on the page you're viewing and adds furigana reading guides directly above the kanji — no copying or pasting required.

Email us at supportfurigator.com with a description of the issue (and a screenshot, if it's a visual bug). We read every message.

Yes. Furigator is a universal app, and your history and favorites sync securely across your Apple devices using your personal iCloud.