Gloss

AI translator for reading: select text in any app, get a translation from the model you choose, and discuss it in context.

How it works

Set Gloss as the system translation app (Settings → Apps → Default Apps → Translation). “Translate” in the text selection menu of Books, Safari and other apps then opens Gloss.
Gloss sends the text to an AI provider of your choice — Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini, DeepSeek or xAI — using your own API key.
Select a word in the original or the translation to get an explanation, or ask your own question. Everything stays in one thread, so the model keeps the context of what you are reading.

Last updated: September 22, 2026

Gloss is designed so that your data stays with you.

No accounts, no servers of our own. Gloss has no backend. The app does not collect, store or transmit any personal data to the developer.
Your API keys are stored only in the Keychain of your device and are used solely to authenticate requests to the provider you chose.
Text you translate or ask about is sent directly from your device to the AI provider you selected (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, DeepSeek or xAI). Their handling of that data is governed by their own privacy policies and the terms of your account with them.
Photos you translate are processed on your device: text is recognized locally and only the recognized text is sent to the provider. The image itself never leaves your device.
History and conversation threads are stored locally on your device and can be deleted in the app at any time.
No analytics, no tracking, no third-party SDKs.

Email valentin.levitov@gmail.com with the app version and a description of the problem.