Real-time translation apps

I've used Google Translate.. It worked the way it was supposed to.

Don't worry so much about formality. You just have to make yourself understood. The other person will know you don't know the language.

How do translation apps handle the "familiar vs formal" concept.

Most translating apps default to the formal, although I've found that Google Translate can sometimes separate the two. For example, if you wanted to translate "Mrs. Jones, you've got a lovely daughter," it will recognize the formal title and give you formal pronouns. However, if you say, "Anna, do you want some pizza?", it will probably give you the familiar.

I've used it for written translation in Italy and Greece when my ideas were beyond my capabilities.

I type in my sentences and translated english to Italian/Greek and showed the resulting translation to the person with whom I was conversing.

I used googletranslate frequently while in Puglia and Sicily last fall.
It worked great for small translations - like in the grocery store when I was looking for certain produce or talking to the butcher. Everyone had a smile with going back and forth. Usually I just held up the phone with one word "bacon?" "small mozzarella balls" etc. and the sweet clerks would lead me to the right place.
But when we had a problem with our rental apartment and the agent and I had some long discussions, she refused to slow down her speech (we were face to face) and google translate could not get what she was saying.

So one of the main things in conversation is to speak slowly on both sides.

Jim,

In my experience, the translator apps have improved a lot over the last few years, but they're not perfect. Using simple phrases and avoiding slang helps to get an accurate translation.