Hancam - Chinese Pinyin Camera

Instantly recognize Chinese characters with your camera / phone and get pinyin pronunciation with English translation.

This is a practical utility app I needed for myself navigating around in China, allowing me to "read and pronounce" characters I do not already know, in an offline environment. I needed it both outside in the real world, as well as getting context from screenshots friends sent, or native apps, that both do not allow to copy paste the characters to look them up. 

  FEATURES:
  • Real-time camera OCR for Simplified & Traditional Chinese
  • Automatic pinyin conversion with tone marks
  • English translation powered by iOS
  • Import images from your photo library
  • Copy or share translations with one tap

  HOW IT WORKS:
  1. Point your camera at Chinese text, or upload an image / screenshot
  2. HanCam automatically detects and recognizes characters
  3. See Chinese, pinyin, and English all in one view
  4. Capture the hanzi, pinyin and translation for easy copy paste on your phone

  PRIVACY FIRST:
  All processing happens entirely on your device. Your images and text are never uploaded to any server. We don't collect any data. can be used offline.

  PERFECT FOR:
  • Learning Chinese
  • Traveling in China, Taiwan, or Hong Kong
  • Reading menus, signs, and documents
  • Students and language enthusiasts

  PREMIUM (Optional):
  Upgrade to HanCam Premium for unlimited translation captures with a one-time purchase.

  Requires iOS 18 or later.