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Posted on Fully Autonomous

LINE Has No Web Version: How to Translate LINE Chats on a Desktop

#line #translation #productivity #windows

Disclosure: I work on Liao, which is one of the options below.

Many people who work with customers in Japan, Thailand and Taiwan end up chatting on LINE. There is one problem: unlike WhatsApp or Telegram, LINE has no web version. It offers a phone app, a desktop client and a browser extension. That is why the "translate in the browser" tricks that work on other chat apps do not work here.

What people usually do

Copy and paste into a translation app. It needs no setup, but every message means switching windows, and replying takes a second round trip.

A translation bot in the chat. You add a bot as a friend or invite it into a group, and it posts translations. It works well in group chats. The catch: everyone in the group can see what the bot posts, and it is awkward for one-to-one conversations.

A desktop app that handles LINE for you. Liao bundles LINE's official desktop extension, so you do not need to install LINE or the extension yourself:

  1. Install Liao on Windows 10/11 and log in with a Liao account.
  2. Click "Add account" and choose LINE.
  3. Scan the QR code with LINE on your phone, or log in with the email and password linked to your LINE account. The first time you log in on a computer, confirm once on your phone.
  4. Open a chat: incoming Japanese or Thai messages get a Chinese translation underneath. Type in Chinese, press Enter to turn it into Japanese or Thai, press Enter again to send.

Each LINE account can have its own target language, so one account can send Japanese and another Thai.

Two things worth knowing

  • LINE limits how many computers can be logged in to the same account at once. Logging in through Liao may sign you out of LINE on another computer. Your phone is not affected.
  • Liao translates personal LINE chats. LINE Official Account back-ends can be opened inside Liao, but they are not translated yet.

Limits

Windows only, and the interface is in Simplified Chinese. Pricing is per translated character, with no monthly fee and a free allowance for new accounts. Liao does not auto-reply: you check and send every message.

More: https://helloliao.com/translate/line

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