Gmail Error “Could not translate this message”: Causes and Fixes

When opening an email in Gmail, you might see an error message like this at the top of the screen:

You might panic, thinking, "Wait, I can't translate this important email?" or "Is something broken?" But don't worry—in most cases, this is just a temporary glitch.

Cause: Why does this error appear?

This error occurs when Gmail's translation function times out or fails to process the request temporarily. Here are the main reasons:

1. Temporary Translation Server Congestion The Google translation server didn't respond for a split second.
2. Tab Left Open for Too Long If you leave a browser tab open for a long time, the session can become stale, making errors more likely upon reconnection.
3. Complex Email Structure The translation process might fail if the email body is very long, has a complex HTML structure, or contains too many signatures or quotes.
4. Network Fluctuations It can happen when your connection is momentarily unstable, such as when switching Wi-Fi networks or waking up from sleep mode.

In short, your email data is not corrupted, and there is no problem with your account.

Solution: Just Reload

The solution is very simple.

This fixes the issue most of the time. If the error message disappears after reloading, the translation function is working normally.

If reloading doesn't work, try these steps:

1. Open a different email, then go back to the original email.
2. Toggle the translation bar: "Don't translate" → "Translate".

Conclusion

Google services are convenient, but complex processing happens behind the scenes. Sometimes these "hiccups" occur, but if you deal with them calmly, you'll be fine. It's also important to keep troubleshooting information like this stocked outside of Google (like on your own blog) just in case.