1. A method for translating text messages, comprising: receiving a text message in a source language; accessing a storage device on a client processing device to obtain language preferences of a plurality of users; determining whether the source language is similar to a preferred destination language; translating the text message into the preferred destination language when the source language is not similar to the preferred destination language; outputting the text message in the preferred destination language for display in a transcript window; sending a reply text message in the preferred destination language; determining whether the reply text message is in the same language as a preferred language of a reply text message recipient; translating the reply text message into the preferred language of the reply text message recipient when language of the reply text message is not the same as the preferred language of the reply text message recipient; displaying the translated reply text message on a display device of the reply text message recipient; and receiving and providing authorization information for accessing an instant message account of one of the plurality of users, wherein all messages in the transcript window are displayed in the preferred destination language.