New Live Translation Feature Coming to AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 2

[MacRumors]

Apple's Live Translation feature, unveiled during its AirPods Pro 3 announcement, is expanding to older models including AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation and AirPods Pro 2.

The new Live Translation functionality requires AirPods updated with the latest firmware to pair with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone running iOS 26 or later, so iPhone 15 Pro and newer models are supported. Apple has been beta testing firmware in concert with iOS 26 beta updates, and we expect the firmware to drop the same day that iOS 26 is officially released on September 15.

Live Translation enables hands-free communication by allowing users 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.

The feature becomes more powerful 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.

The feature 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.

AirPods Pro 3 are available to pre-order now, with a launch on Friday, September 19.

Article Link: New Live Translation Feature Coming to AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 2

 

[Eorlas]

well that's a welcome surprise

 

[Anaxarxes]

amen to this.

 

[Metrosey]

Is that real-time translation to English, French, German, Portuguese, etc, or from to a language of your choice? For example, can it live translate Korean to English?

 

[Nicky G]

Beats…?

 

[DrRadon]

I feel like this is kinda like the Vision Pro calls were they use your avatar instead of video. It’s kinda cool that it’s possible but also really uncanny. I guess down the line it might be super smooth and quick and non robotic sounding.
For everything else we used Google translate for years.

 

[Kylo83]

I want Hebrew, also they made out it’s a new feature for the pro 3’s

 

[Shanghaichica]

Nice backwards compatibility.

 

[CocktailHour]

Yes, I'll end up using this.

 

[lovehateapple]

Is that real-time translation to English, French, German, Portuguese, etc, or from to a language of your choice? For example, can it live translate Korean to English?

It will take some patience for the feature to not only improve, and also include other languages than the ones listed.

 

[stevierg]

Not in EU for French or Spanish though!

 

[Kireyin]

The feature 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.

So… Simplified Chinese is a spoken language now? Nice update 🧌

More seriously, is it support for Mandarin Chinese then?

 

[Jarman74]

The moment when the girl showed the Spanish woman her phone screen with the translation of what she’d just said was easily the low point of the entire event. Siri may be dumb, but at least she could’ve read it out loud.

 

[lovehateapple]

I'm excited to try this out. It has so much potential to make international travel easier and better for billions of people.

 

[lovehateapple]

The moment when the girl showed the Spanish woman her phone screen with the translation of what she’d just said was easily the low point of the entire event. Siri may be dumb, but at least she could’ve read it out loud.

Baby steps, baby steps...

 

[Goodeye]

very interested to see when it goes live for AirPods Pro 2.

 

[spazzcat]

The moment when the girl showed the Spanish woman her phone screen with the translation of what she’d just said was easily the low point of the entire event. Siri may be dumb, but at least she could’ve read it out loud.

They said you can have it read it outloud.

 

[spazzcat]

> The feature 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.

So… Simplified Chinese is a spoken language now? Nice update 🧌

More seriously, is it support for Mandarin Chinese then?

Something must have gotten lost in translation...

 

[pdmpolishing]

The moment when the girl showed the Spanish woman her phone screen with the translation of what she’d just said was easily the low point of the entire event. Siri may be dumb, but at least she could’ve read it out loud.

It did say it could read it aloud.

 

[elgipsy]

U.S. and UK people will finally understand each other yay 😝

 

[Kireyin]

Not in EU for French or Spanish though!

Yeah… that makes absolutely no sense.

Also, the feature is not listed on the French website. So is it that we (EU users) cannot translate to/from French (France) and Spanish (Spain), or do we not have the feature at all?

 

[Jarman74]

They said you can have it read it outloud.

Why didn’t they show that instead?

 

[GlassFingers]

We need Russian and Ukrainian too!

 

[Astuces iOS]

Yeah already noticed long time ago

 

[rajador]

Not compatible with Airpods 4 with no ANC?