Back in June, X replaced Google Translate with its own in-house Grok translation tool on the web version. I was curious but optimistic, especially when the same update rolled out to the mobile app a couple of weeks later.
On paper, it sounded like progress. Grok Translate automatically detects the language of a post and translates it based on your X usage and language settings. In theory, this is smart. In practice… well, if you’re Kenyan, you might already see the plot twist coming.
Our timelines here are linguistic buffets, be it English, Swahili, Sheng, Kikuyu, Kalenjin, Luo, you name it. However, none of those Kenyan languages are actually supported by Grok Translate. Not even Swahili.
So what happens?
Grok does what any AI without a clue would do: it guesses. It tries to match an unsupported language like Sheng to the closest one in its catalogue of officially supported languages (think Hindi, Arabic, Portuguese, French, etc.). The results are often unintentionally hilarious and sometimes painfully wrong.
For example:
Sheng gone sideways. Someone posted “Nakaa smart sana na yunifom aki wah” (I look really smart in my uniform). Another user quote reposted with “Sasa inatusaidia na nini sisi” (How does this help us?).
Grok translated it as: “Sasa, what is helping us?”
Not only awkward, but it completely loses the sarcastic, teasing tone of the original.
CHAN ticket drama, Grok edition. Football reporter Teya Kevin posted about ticket hoarding for CHAN matches: “Unaamka una buy more than Ten tickets ndio uuze at a profit, then later in the day tuna blame wanasiasa for hoarding tickets. Tabia mbaya inaanza tu na sisi.” Another user quote reposted with “Siwezi nunua ticket mia saba kwa mtu mimi… heri nikae kwetu.” (I can’t buy a ticket at KES 700 from someone… I’d rather stay at home.)
Grok’s take? “I can’t buy a seven hundred ticket for someone… I’d rather stay at home.”
Clunky, and it changes the nuance from “I refuse to overpay” to “I refuse to buy for someone else.”
When Kikuyu mixes in, it gets chaotic. A post read: “Mnasema Baragoi hakuna kitchen kama hiyo kot socha asiwapime? Mungenagia mangai.”
Grok’s version: “You say there’s no kitchen like that in Baragoi, so why don’t they test them? You’re dazzling them with words!”
The feature is enabled by default, so you don’t even get a chance to admire the raw wit and rhythm of a good Sheng post before Grok swoops in with its… “interpretation.” I still think it’s a good sign that X is building its own in-house translation system. That’s the first step toward eventually supporting African languages and when that day comes, I’ll celebrate. But for now, Grok needs to stop guessing at Kenyan languages like it’s on a bad game show. Luckily, you can turn off this behavior in a couple of taps.
How to Turn Off Grok Automatic Translation on X
If you’d rather read posts in their original form (and trust your brain to do the translating), here’s how to shut Grok up:
- Find any post Grok has translated.
- Tap the little question mark (?) icon on mobile or settings cog on web next to the translation.
- Toggle off “Automatic translation.”
That’s it. Your timeline is now free from unsolicited linguistic remixes.
Until X officially supports Swahili, Sheng, and our local dialects, I’m keeping Grok Translate off. I’d rather enjoy the magic of Kenyan languages as they are: unfiltered, unpolished, and, most importantly, correct.
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