Live Translation Coming to AirPods

[MacRumors]

An in-person Live Translation feature could soon be available on the AirPods, according to imagery found in iOS 26 beta 6.

There's a picture of the AirPods with Hello in several different languages, along with a suggestion that the feature will be activated with a double press. The file itself is named "Translate," which certainly seems to imply that there will be a gesture to activate a Live Translation option.

9to5Mac reported on the image first, but we can confirm that it is tucked away in the files for the Translate app in the latest beta.

Prior to the launch of iOS 26, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the AirPods would get a translate feature for translating in-person conversations, and it looks like Apple is working on introducing it soon. Live Translation for AirPods could come either in the launch version of iOS 26, or in an update to iOS 26.

iOS 26 already offers Live Translation for the Phone app, Messages app, and FaceTime, so an in-person option through the AirPods makes sense.

Based on the images, the feature will work on the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4. Existing Live Translation features are linked to Apple Intelligence, which means the AirPods feature could also require an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence.

Article Link: Live Translation Coming to AirPods

 

[jz0309]

well, if that image is any indication ...
Bonjour usually means Good Morning/Day but I suppose it can go for hello
Danke is German and means Thank You
Bye - no comment
obrigado is Portuguese and means thank You
ola is Spanish and means wave (hello in Spanish is hola)

hmmm

 

[DocMultimedia]

This would be a very nice feature.

 

[whsbuss]

What a great feature if it is true. This would allow me to communicate with my lawn care folks.

 

[NervousFish2]

well, if that image is any indication ...
Bonjour usually means Good Morning/Day but I suppose it can go for hello
Danke is German and means Thank You
Bye - no comment
obrigado is Portuguese and means thank You
ola is Spanish and means wave (hello in Spanish is hola)

hmmm

Olá is Portuguese for hello

 

[orbital~debris]

Hoping Apple call this 'Universal Translator' 🖖🏽

 

[Rayansb]

Proper reliable live translation would make life so much easier. Hope Apple pulls it off.

 

[NervousFish2]

Hoping Apple call this 'Universal Translator' 🖖🏽

Or the Babel fish!

 

[nuff_said]

well, if that image is any indication ...
Bonjour usually means Good Morning/Day but I suppose it can go for hello
Danke is German and means Thank You
Bye - no comment
obrigado is Portuguese and means thank You
ola is Spanish and means wave (hello in Spanish is hola)

hmmm

So working how we’d expect translations to work 😀 /s

 

[Plutonius]

Sounds very useful.

 

[victorvictoria]

Cool factor: 10 out of 10.
Utility: remains to be seen.

 

[Andreas from Zurich]

So can I listen to an automatically dubbed YouTube video in the original language using live translation?

 

[Jandalf]

Babelfish incoming! 😇

 

[Wando64]

What a great feature if it is true. This would allow me to communicate with my lawn care folks.

Well, it would allow you to understand them, but communication requires two way translation, which incidentally can already be done with the phone.

 

[topheradams]

It’s going to be like real life 20 questions because nobody will know how to speak the language back!!!

 

[Rafagon]

Привет, друзья!

 

[Rafagon]

well, if that image is any indication ...
Bonjour usually means Good Morning/Day but I suppose it can go for hello
Danke is German and means Thank You
Bye - no comment
obrigado is Portuguese and means thank You
ola is Spanish and means wave (hello in Spanish is hola)

hmmm

Olá, Brazilian Portuguese for Hello.

 

[frownface]

What a great feature if it is true. This would allow me to communicate with my lawn care folks.

It may let you understand what they're saying; but how will you talk to them?

 

[Phazer]

Ever since my AirPods Pro 2 got stolen last month, I’ve very much been looking forward to the AirPods Pro 3 coming out.

 

[voodoo111]

This is absolutely nothing new..
The Bragi Dash Pro released a feature like this about 10 years ago (Damn I wish Bragi kept on going with their hardware). Anyhow, from what I can remember about my Bragi Pro, you used the Translate App in conjunction with the earbuds, along with the option of getting the earbuds professionally tweaked to your hearing range. I only used it once, as I never got the opportunity to use them overseas, but damn for its time, it was a great feature! (And damn do I hate that 99% of all earbuds don't have internal storage. I hate having anything on me when I train at the gym - really miss you Bragi!!)

 

[ToothBlueth]

well, if that image is any indication ...
Bonjour usually means Good Morning/Day but I suppose it can go for hello
Danke is German and means Thank You
Bye - no comment
obrigado is Portuguese and means thank You
ola is Spanish and means wave (hello in Spanish is hola)

hmmm

Easy on the author, they weren't able to use the function yet.

 

[rotvaldi]

Oí is Brazilian, damn I learned lot of Portugués on this game called Tibia MMO lol

 

[ifxf]

If they can get it to work in real time we will finally have a new killer app.

 

[bobbyjack]

I just hope the translation isn’t based on Apple’s OS translation app, another half-baked thing they’ve completely neglected (looking at you, Podcast and Books).

 

[bobbyjack]

well, if that image is any indication ...
Bonjour usually means Good Morning/Day but I suppose it can go for hello
Danke is German and means Thank You
Bye - no comment
obrigado is Portuguese and means thank You
ola is Spanish and means wave (hello in Spanish is hola)

hmmm

In France, "hello" is best translated as "Salut" in this context, though "Bonjour" works too. It’s just more formal.