Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
This page lists the messages Hover Translate can show and the most direct fix for each one.
Common errors
| Message | Code | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
Chrome built-in translation is unavailable in this browser. Use desktop Chrome 138 or later. | TRANSLATOR_UNSUPPORTED | The browser does not expose the built-in Translator API. | Use desktop Chrome 138 or later. Mobile Chrome, Firefox, and Safari are not supported. |
English-Japanese translation is unavailable on this device. | LANGUAGE_PACK_UNAVAILABLE | Chrome reports that the requested language pair cannot be used. | Update Chrome and confirm built-in AI features are available for your profile and device. |
Language pack download needs a click. Open the popup and press Prepare. | LANGUAGE_PACK_DOWNLOAD_REQUIRED | Chrome needs user activation before downloading language packs. | Open the popup and press Prepare in the Engine section. |
Text too long (max X chars). | TEXT_TOO_LONG | The hovered block exceeds your configured character limit. | Increase Max characters per request up to 5000 or hover a smaller block. |
Translation failed. | UNKNOWN | An unexpected Translator API error occurred. | Reload the page and try again. If it persists, check the browser console and file an issue. |
Final checks
If you still do not see translations, verify the following:
- The extension is present and enabled in
chrome://extensions. - The popup’s Engine section shows
Ready for English ⇄ Japanese. - The popup’s Translate section shows the extension as active.
- The page is a normal website rather than a restricted Chrome page such as
chrome://or the Chrome Web Store. - Chrome has enough disk space to download and keep language packs.