Watashi
Support
Write to support@watashiapp.com. In the app, Settings › Privacy says what stays on your phone, and Settings › Licences lists every credit.
Watashi is an iPhone app for visitors to Japan. It translates English and Japanese on the phone, offline, speaks the result, and shows it large enough to hand across a counter.
iOS 17 or later. The translator needs about 6 GB of memory: iPhone 14 or later, iPhone 12 Pro or 13 Pro. About 1 GB to download. No account creation required. No data collection.
iPhones and iPadsInternetMic and LiveMenus and allergiesPassesYour dataTroubleshooting
Which iPhones and iPads work
Watashi needs iOS 17 or later. The translator and the passes need about 6 GB of memory: an iPhone 14 or later, or an iPhone 12 Pro or 13 Pro. On an iPhone or iPad with less memory, the app installs and gives you the phrasebook, the places, the Allergy card, Price, Learn and History, with no translator and no pass for sale.
How to read the tables: Translator: Yes means the translator and the passes work. Phrasebook only means everything except the translator. Measured means we have timed it in a release build; so far that is only the iPhone 14 Pro on iOS 18.3. Unmeasured means it has the memory the translator needs but we have not timed it. Memory figures come from published teardowns, since Apple does not list them.
iPhone
| Models | Chip | Memory | iOS | Translator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XS, XS Max, XR | A12 | 3–4 GB | 17–18 | No | Phrasebook only |
| 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, SE (2nd gen) | A13 | 3–4 GB | 17+ | No | Phrasebook only |
| 12, 12 mini, 13, 13 mini, SE (3rd gen) | A14 / A15 | 4 GB | 17+ | No | Phrasebook only |
| 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max | A14 | 6 GB | 17+ | Yes | Unmeasured; an older chip than the rest |
| 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max | A15 | 6 GB | 17+ | Yes | Unmeasured |
| 14, 14 Plus | A15 | 6 GB | 17+ | Yes | Unmeasured |
| 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max | A16 | 6 GB | 17+ | Yes | Measured on iOS 18.3 |
| 15, 15 Plus | A16 | 6 GB | 17+ | Yes | Unmeasured; the same chip as the 14 Pro |
| 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max | A17 Pro | 8 GB | 17+ | Yes | Unmeasured |
| 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, 16e | A18 / A18 Pro | 8 GB | 18+ | Yes | 16 Pro Max partly measured, on an earlier build |
| 17, 17e | A19 | 8 GB | 26+ | Yes | Unmeasured |
| Air, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max | A19 Pro | 12 GB | 26+ | Yes | Unmeasured |
| 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max | A20 Pro | 12 GB | 27 | Yes | Unmeasured |
| iPhone Duo (foldable) | A20 Pro | 12 GB (unconfirmed) | 27 | Yes | Unmeasured; the inner display's layout is untested |
iPad, as an iPhone app
Watashi is an iPhone app. On iPad it runs in iPhone compatibility mode: upright, in a phone-sized window.
| Models | Chip | Memory | Translator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPad 6, iPad 7, iPad Pro 2017 | A10 / A10X | 2–4 GB | No | Phrasebook only; no camera scanning, which needs an A12 or later |
| iPad 8, iPad 9, iPad 10, mini 5, mini 6, Air 3, Air 4, Pro 2018 (under 1 TB) | A12–A15 | 3–4 GB | No | Phrasebook only |
| iPad (A16, 2025), Pro 2018 1 TB, Pro 2020 | A16 / A12X / A12Z | 6 GB | Yes | Unmeasured |
| iPad mini (A17 Pro), Air M1–M4, Pro M1–M5 | A17 Pro / M-series | 8–16 GB | Yes | Unmeasured |
Does it need the internet?
No. The translator, the phrasebook, speech recognition and the voices are in the app from the first launch, so there is nothing to download before a trip beyond the app itself (about 1 GB; download it on Wi-Fi). Everything works in Airplane Mode. Watashi connects only for Sync with iCloud and for buying or restoring a pass through the App Store.
The first translation after you open the app takes a few seconds while the translator loads; the next ones are quicker. Sentences from the phrasebook are instant.
The mic, Live and the voices
- Tap the mic and talk. It listens until you stop talking, or until you tap it again.
- Hold the mic for Live: both of you talk, and each side is spoken in the other's language. Tap the orb to end it; 30 seconds with nothing said ends it too.
- The reply orb listens for the other person's answer in Japanese and shows it in English.
- Voices are the iPhone's own Kyoko (Japanese) and Samantha (English). Change the speed in Settings › Speech rate.
- Watashi asks for the microphone the first time you tap the mic. If you said no, turn it on in the iPhone's Settings › Watashi › Microphone.
Menus and the Allergy card
Menu. On Home, tap the camera and point it at a menu, then tap the shutter (or Choose a photo) and Open as menu. Each dish it knows (about 430) is listed in English with a one-line description, and the allergens on your Allergy card are marked. It says what a dish usually contains, not what this kitchen puts in it: ask the staff before you order. A dish we do not know says "Not in our dish list".
Allergy card. Pick your allergies, diet and medical needs once; one tap shows them in large Japanese to hand across, and Read aloud speaks it. The card carries what you tell it and gives no medical advice. Tell the staff in person, too.
The phrasebook has not yet been reviewed by a native speaker. For anything about allergies or medicine, make sure the staff have understood you.
Passes, the daily allowance and restore
- The places, the Allergy card, Price, Learn and the phrasebook are free. Every day you get 3 free translations for the rest: a sentence the phrasebook does not have, or a menu explained. Your iPhone's next calendar day brings 3 more.
- For more, buy a Weekly, 15-day or 30-day pass (prices on the home page). A pass never renews and starts on your first translation after you buy.
- The pass works offline: it is kept on your iPhone, so it needs no connection once bought.
- Restore: Settings › Passes and restore › Restore purchases, or Restore at the top of the pass screen.
- Refunds are Apple's to grant, at reportaproblem.apple.com. Full terms.
Your data and iCloud
No data collection, and no account creation required. History, conversations, favourites, Learn progress and your Allergy card are kept on your iPhone, and copied to your own iCloud while Settings › Your things › Sync with iCloud is on; we cannot read them. History › Clear all removes your history, favourites, Learn progress and saved translations. The full privacy policy says what is kept and where.
Troubleshooting
- Watashi says "Phrasebook only on this iPhone"
- Your iPhone or iPad has less than about 6 GB of memory, so the translator does not run and no pass is offered. The phrasebook, the places, the Allergy card, Price, Learn and History still work. See the tables.
- The pass screen says it could not reach the App Store
- Buying and restoring need a connection to Apple. Try again when you are online; nothing is charged, and translating keeps working offline.
- The pass screen says this iPhone cannot buy from the App Store
- Sign in with an Apple Account, and look at Screen Time › Content & Privacy Restrictions › iTunes & App Store Purchases.
- The mic does not hear anything
- Turn the microphone on in the iPhone's Settings › Watashi. Speak close to the phone in a loud place.
- Something else
- Write to support@watashiapp.com with your iPhone model, iOS version and what you tapped.