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iOS 26: Use Live Translation With AirPods

The irony

The one place in Earth this could be genuinely useful for travel is in continental Europe. You know, the place where all of these languages originated. Geographically these countries are very close to each other and there’s a lot of travelling.

Unfortunately it won’t work for both eu members and Americans/English visiting the European Union. Because…. Reasons
 
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In theory, this sounds very cool and I hope Apple continues to refine it, and add more languages.
 
Spanky Deluxe said:
Seriously, don't use this. It's such an obnoxious idea. Using headphones to talk to someone when you're clearly not actually listening to them but instead of an AI voice is just plain insulting.

If you're in a pickle, use a translation app on your phone and ask the person you're trying to converse with to speak into it as well. At least then it becomes a communal attempt at conversing and you appear to be actively trying.

The 'demo' in the presentation made me want to vomit with how obnoxious it was.
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How is it insulting? Your idea of communication is having someone talk into your phone rather than something more fluid like a live translation?

Talking into the iPhone microphone is not insulting but doing the same with the AirPods microphone is, I don't get it.
 
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I tried this a couple days ago on my iPhone 16 Pro Max and while the two languages I wanted, "English" and "German" were shown as downloaded, they obviously weren't. According to ChatGPT each language pack should be around 100mb. So around 200mb. But when I checked how much storage "Translate" took, it was only 10.2mb total! So, something's not quite working right. Now that my iPhone Air has arrived, I repeated the experiment and get the same result - those languages show as downloaded, but storage doesn't account for them and the instant translation simply doesn't work - in my ears, Siri keeps telling me I need to download language packs! Half-baked crap. But I guess that's why it's labeled "beta"?
 
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twolf2919 said:
I tried this a couple days ago on my iPhone 16 Pro Max and while the two languages I wanted, "English" and "German" were shown as downloaded, they obviously weren't. According to ChatGPT each language pack should be around 100mb. So around 200mb. But when I checked how much storage "Translate" took, it was only 10.2mb total! So, something's not quite working right. Now that my iPhone Air has arrived, I repeated the experiment and get the same result - those languages show as downloaded, but storage doesn't account for them and the instant translation simply doesn't work - in my ears, Siri keeps telling me I need to download language packs! Half-baked crap. But I guess that's why it's labeled "beta"?
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I believe the language packs are counted as "system data" (which you can see in the iOS settings), which makes sense given that live translation not only works in the Translate app. Adding a language seems to consume about 1-1.5 GB.
 
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MacRumors said:


Apple plans to add Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified) support later this year.
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You, or Apple, mean Mandarin.

Chinese (simplified) is a written style (modernized Hanzi) not a spoken dialect.

Taiwan uses traditional Hanzi but speaks Mandarin.

Hong Kong uses traditional Hanzi but speaks Cantonese.
 
Night Spring said:
This was exactly what I tried. I sat in front of a tv playing something and turned on live translation. It worked.
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It kind of worked. I put on a French movie and it translated enough of it that maybe you could follow what was being said. But between the lag, all voices being the same, and the mistakes reading the subtitles was far superior.

I also tried it with a YouTube video of people having a slow conversation in French and there it was great.

Oh, and you have to have the audio physically playing as far as I know, so you can't do this on a plane or train without disturbing those around you.
 
Rigby said:
I believe the language packs are counted as "system data" (which you can see in the iOS settings), which makes sense given that live translation not only works in the Translate app. Adding a language seems to consume about 1-1.5 GB.
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Maybe so, but the fact remains that even after I remove and re-add English and German to the downloaded/off-line languages, when I try to do live translation (hold both AirPod Pros by the stem), Siri tells me that Live Translation requires the downloading of languages. What else can I do?

I don't know if this is relevant, but I'm currently in Germany - but my Apple ID/Account are US-region. I think I read somewhere that live translation isn't available in Europe yet? But Siri's nagging about downloading languages even though I have is still a defect.
 
Reimulo said:
It’s so wierd they attached the feature to the AirPods when all the actual translations are all done on the iPhone.
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Lowering the volume of the person speaking while translating is a key to the experience and that processing is done on the Airpods.
 
Reimulo said:
It’s so wierd they attached the feature to the AirPods when all the actual translations are all done on the iPhone.

They could just have marketed this as an Apple Intelligence feature, that way they probably wouldn’t have failed to comply with DMA and were ready for EU rollout.

Of course they also would have needed to add some relevant languages from that region, which Apple failed to do with Siri for a Decade.

It’s cheaper for Apple to blame regulators that catch up with Google with translations
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If you want to do it on your phone without AirPods, you could do it last year and probably three years ago. Just download the "Translate" app from the app store and explore.

The whole POINT of what's new in this version is the smoothness and efficiency which derives from using the ANC and in-ear speech, rather than turn-taking with a phone.
 
twolf2919 said:
I tried this a couple days ago on my iPhone 16 Pro Max and while the two languages I wanted, "English" and "German" were shown as downloaded, they obviously weren't. According to ChatGPT each language pack should be around 100mb. So around 200mb. But when I checked how much storage "Translate" took, it was only 10.2mb total! So, something's not quite working right. Now that my iPhone Air has arrived, I repeated the experiment and get the same result - those languages show as downloaded, but storage doesn't account for them and the instant translation simply doesn't work - in my ears, Siri keeps telling me I need to download language packs! Half-baked crap. But I guess that's why it's labeled "beta"?
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Are you looking in the Translate app, or in the UI that's pulled up by the AirPods?

The whole user interaction remains a bit clumsy (I guess it will be fixed over the next year) and it's easy to get confused, either thinking you have the data (you don't, you have it in Translate.app. not the different model needed for the AirPods) OR not realizing you needed to download both languages of interest (so eg French AND English) in the AirPods UI.
 
sdp4462 said:
Even as an American, it drives me crazy that Apple is to cravenly xenophobic that they can’t seem to expand the list of languages. If they translated every language that their own damn employees speak, they’d at least be competitive with Chrome and all of the translator-specific devices. I regularly go to dinner with folks from the office in Prague - do they have Czech translation, even in Safari? Nope! No better in Denmark or number of economically successful countries, either. Such a stain on the company :-(
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Once they get to the top 40 languages in the world then you are at like 97% of the planet can be translated. Google is at 49 languages.
 
twolf2919 said:
Maybe so, but the fact remains that even after I remove and re-add English and German to the downloaded/off-line languages, when I try to do live translation (hold both AirPod Pros by the stem), Siri tells me that Live Translation requires the downloading of languages. What else can I do?

I don't know if this is relevant, but I'm currently in Germany - but my Apple ID/Account are US-region. I think I read somewhere that live translation isn't available in Europe yet? But Siri's nagging about downloading languages even though I have is still a defect.
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No idea what might be causing this. Have you checked whether the download was actually completed (you can also go into the storage settings and compare before/after)? Worked without any issues for me. I'm in the US though, but AFAIK you should be able to use it in the EU if you have a US-based Apple ID.
 
hajime said:
People should study hard rather than using machine to do the job effortlessly.
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Have you ever tried to speak with French in France? You'll ask them in English and they respond you in fluent French :')

(and I speak Czech, English, German and a bit of Danish so don't lecture me about learning languages. I would like to but I won't manage all the EU languages even if I would try to, I'm not that gifted).
 
MacRumors said:


In iOS 26, Live Translation enables hands-free communication by allowing users who don't share the same language to speak naturally while wearing AirPods. For conversations with non-AirPods users, the iPhone can display live transcriptions horizontally, showing translations in the other person's preferred language. Keep reading to learn how to use it.

airpods-translate.jpg

In iOS 26, Live Translation is integrated into Messages, FaceTime, and Phone to help users communicate across languages, translating text and audio on the fly.

However, the feature is at its most impressive when both conversation participants wear compatible AirPods with Live Translation enabled. Active Noise Cancellation automatically lowers the volume of the other speaker, helping users focus on translated audio while maintaining natural interaction flow.

Apple's Live Translation was a headline feature when it announced AirPods Pro 3, but it also works with older models running iOS 26, including AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation and AirPods Pro 2.

What You'll Need

  • AirPods 4 (ANC), AirPods Pro 2, or AirPods Pro 3.
  • iPhone 15 Pro or later.
  • iOS 26 or later.
  • The Translate app downloaded.
  • The latest AirPods firmware version.
Supported Languages

Live Translation supports real-time translation between English (UK and U.S.), French, German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish. Apple plans to add Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified) support later this year.

Before you can use Live Translation, you'll need to download the language the other person is speaking and the language you'd like to translate it to.
  1. Put your AirPods in your ears and make sure they're connected to your iPhone.
  2. Open Settings on your iPhone, then tap the name of your AirPods.
  3. Under "Translation," tap Languages, then select the languages you want to download.
airpods-live-translation-languages-download.jpg


Start a Live Translation Conversation

  1. Wear your AirPods and connect them to your iPhone.
  2. Make sure Apple Intelligence is turned on (Settings ➝ Apple Intelligence & Siri).
  3. Open the Translate app, then tap Live.
  4. Select the language that the other person is speaking and the language that you want your AirPods to translate it to.
  5. Tap Start Translation.
translate-app-airpods.jpg


Once the other person speaks, your AirPods instantly translate their words into your chosen language. If you're in a noisy place, you can boost accuracy by letting your iPhone's microphones join in – just move your iPhone closer to the speaker.

When it's your turn, simply reply as you normally would. The Translate app's Live tab can display a transcript of your words on your iPhone screen, or you can tap the Play button to have your iPhone read the translation aloud.

If the person you're talking with also has supported AirPods set up with Live Translation, they'll be able to hear your response directly through their own AirPods. To stop Live Translation at any time, just tap the X button.

Other Ways to Use Live Translation

airpods-live-translation.jpg


To start Live Translation at any time, open the Translate app on your iPhone, tap Live, and then tap Start Translation. You can also set the Action button on your iPhone to launch the Translate app, letting you jump straight into Live Translation while wearing your AirPods.

There are several other quick ways to begin. You can press and hold the stems on both AirPods at once, or ask Siri by saying something like "Start Live Translation." You can also swipe down from the top-right corner of your iPhone to open Control Center and tap Translate. (To add Translate to Control Center, long press on a space between the buttons, tap Add Control, then search for and select Translate.)



Article Link: iOS 26: Use Live Translation With AirPods
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Question for those who so far reported that it works well, even translating spoken word played on TV: How do we know that the translation was correct?
 
eifelbube said:
Question for those who so far reported that it works well, even translating spoken word played on TV: How do we know that the translation was correct?
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I can only speak for myself, but I used two languages I'm fluent in to test it. ;) But I don't think it's good for TV shows due to the delay (i.e. the translation is always out of sync with the video). Perhaps OK for things like news reports and interviews.
 
csilverman said:
I remember when I first read about the Babel Fish in Hitchhiker's Guide and thought "man, I wish something like that existed".

I guess it sort of does, now, except it also functions as headphones and isn't as slimy.
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Me too! Can't wait for the moody elevators next...
 
Really useful. However would like to see many more languages being supported. Even with the few more languages bound to be supported by the year end, it is very limited. Think that will take some time.
 
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