Apple Live Translation: How It Works, Which Devices and Languages, and How to Use It

Apple Live Translation is a feature in iOS 26. You wear your AirPods, someone speaks to you in another language, and you hear what they said in your own language. It is part of Apple Intelligence, so it only runs on newer iPhones and some AirPods.

This guide covers what it is, how it works, which iPhones, AirPods and languages it supports, how to turn it on, and where it is available. It also covers what you can do if your iPhone or AirPods can’t run it.

What is Apple Live Translation?

Apple uses the name Live Translation for a few features. The one most people mean is Live Translation with AirPods. It helps you talk with someone face to face when you don’t share a language. They speak, and you hear a spoken translation in your AirPods.

Apple released it with iOS 26 in September 2025. At first it had five languages: English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish. iOS 26.1 added Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Italian, Japanese and Korean. It reached the EU in December 2025 with iOS 26.2.

It is built into iOS. There is no separate “Apple Live Translation app” to install. The feature lives inside Apple’s Translate app.

How does Apple Live Translation work?

Your AirPods and iPhone work as a team. The microphones pick up the other person’s voice. Your iPhone turns the speech into text, translates it, and reads the translation into your AirPods. Apple says the processing takes place on your iPhone once the languages are downloaded.

The other person does not need AirPods. Here is how a two-way talk goes:

• They talk, and you hear the translation in your AirPods.
• You answer in your own language.
• The Live tab in the Translate app shows a transcript of your words in their language. You can turn the iPhone so they can read it, or tap Play so the iPhone speaker says it out loud.
• If they also have supported AirPods with Live Translation on, they hear your reply in their own AirPods.

On models with Active Noise Cancellation, Apple lowers the other person’s voice so the translation is easier to follow. In a loud place, Apple suggests moving the iPhone closer to the speaker so its microphones can help.

Apple notes that the feature uses generative models and the output can be wrong. Check anything important.

Apple Live Translation devices and requirements

Every item in this table must be true at the same time. If one is missing, the Live option will not work with your AirPods.

Not supported: AirPods 2, AirPods 3, AirPods 4 without Active Noise Cancellation, the original AirPods Pro, the original AirPods Max, Beats and other brands. iPhones that can’t run Apple Intelligence are also left out. That includes iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 14 and older, and iPhone SE.

For a model-by-model look, see our AirPods Live Translation guide and our guide to Live Translation on iPhone. If you own AirPods Pro 2, this post walks through that model. If you have AirPods 4, here is how to tell which version you have.

Apple Live Translation languages list

Apple Live Translation with AirPods supports 11 languages. You can translate between any two of them. The table also shows which of these work in the Live Translation on Headphones app, which is not made by Apple.

Any language not in this table, such as Hindi, Russian or Vietnamese, is not supported by Apple’s AirPods feature or by the app. Our live translation languages page keeps the full, dated list.

How to use Apple Live Translation

First, download the languages. Connect your AirPods, open Settings, tap your AirPods’ name, tap Live Translation, and pick the languages. You can also download them in the Translate app.

Then set up and start a conversation:

1. Put in your AirPods and make sure they are connected.
2. Check that Apple Intelligence is on in Settings.
3. Open the Translate app and tap Live.
4. Choose the language the other person speaks and the language you want to hear.
5. Tap Start Translation.

You can also start it without opening the app:

• AirPods stems: on AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, AirPods 5, or AirPods Pro 2 and later, press and hold the stems on both AirPods at the same time.
• AirPods Max 2: press and hold the listening mode button.
• Action button: set the Action button to Translate, then press it while wearing your AirPods.
• Siri: say “Siri, start Live Translation.”

To stop, tap the X button in the Translate app. If the Live option is missing or nothing plays, our fix guide for AirPods Live Translation not working goes through each cause.

Apple Live Translation and AirPods: which models

The AirPods matter as much as the iPhone. Apple supports only five models: AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, AirPods 5, AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Max 2. The stem gesture works on AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, AirPods 5, and AirPods Pro 2 and later.

The plain AirPods 4 (without Active Noise Cancellation) look almost the same as the ANC model but are not supported. AirPods 2 and AirPods 3 are not supported either. Neither are Beats or headphones from other brands.

Apple Live Translation in the EU and UK

EU: At launch, Apple did not offer Live Translation with AirPods when both the user and their Apple Account were in the EU. Apple said it needed more engineering work to meet the Digital Markets Act. In November 2025, Apple announced that the feature would come to the EU the next month, and it arrived with iOS 26.2 in December 2025.

UK: The UK is not in the EU, so that limit did not apply there. English (UK) is one of the supported languages.

China mainland: Apple’s list notes that Chinese (Mandarin, Simplified) is not available in China mainland.

Apple says some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Check Apple’s feature availability page for your country.

Apple Intelligence Live Translation: Messages, Phone and FaceTime

Apple Live Translation is part of Apple Intelligence. Besides AirPods, Apple uses the same name for three other features. Each has its own language list on Apple’s feature availability page.

The Translate app also has a Conversation mode that uses the iPhone speaker and screen, without AirPods.

Does Apple Live Translation work on Mac?

Apple documents Live Translation with AirPods for iPhone only. Its support page lists an iPhone 15 Pro or later and does not mention Mac or iPad for the AirPods feature.

Apple does say Live Translation in Phone and FaceTime calls works with Apple Intelligence on a compatible iPhone, iPad or Mac. So on a Mac you can get translated FaceTime and phone calls, but not the in-person AirPods feature.

Apple Live Translation review: strengths and limits

We have not run a lab test of Apple’s feature, so this is a summary of what Apple documents, not test scores.

Strengths:

• It is built into iOS.
• It starts fast: a stem press, the Action button or Siri.
• Processing happens on the iPhone after the languages are downloaded.
• With Active Noise Cancellation, the other person’s voice is turned down so you can follow the translation.
• Two people with supported AirPods can each hear the other in their own language.

Limits:

• It needs an iPhone 15 Pro or later with Apple Intelligence turned on.
• It works with only five AirPods models and no other headphones.
• It covers 11 languages. Turkish, Arabic and Mexican Spanish are not among them.
• Apple warns that translations can be wrong.

Verdict: if you have a supported iPhone and AirPods, and you need one of the 11 languages, use Apple’s feature. It is well built. If any piece is missing, read on.

If your iPhone or AirPods can’t use Apple Live Translation

Many people search for Apple Live Translation and find out their setup is left out. The most common reasons:

• Your iPhone is older than iPhone 15 Pro, or it is an iPhone 15, 15 Plus or SE.
• You have AirPods 2, AirPods 3, AirPods 4 without Active Noise Cancellation, Beats, or another brand.
• You need Turkish, Arabic or Mexican Spanish.
• You don’t want to turn on Apple Intelligence.

For these cases there is Live Translation on Headphones, an iPhone app by Little Tough LLC. It is not made by Apple and is not endorsed by Apple. It uses Apple’s on-device speech and translation technology, so no audio or text is uploaded and no account is needed.

• Works on any iPhone with iOS 18 or later, including iPhone XS, XR, iPhone 11 to 14, iPhone 15 and SE (2nd and 3rd generation).
• Works with AirPods of any generation, Beats, and any Bluetooth or wired headphones. Without headphones it works turn by turn through the iPhone speaker.
• In live mode with headphones, you hear the translation about a second later while the other person keeps talking. It keeps going with the screen locked.
• The Speak tab says your reply out loud in their language through the iPhone speaker.
• 14 languages in any direction, including Turkish, Arabic and Spanish (Mexico). Works offline once a language is downloaded.

Quick answers

Is Apple Live Translation free? Yes. It is built into iOS 26 and later and costs nothing. You need a supported iPhone, supported AirPods and Apple Intelligence turned on.

Is there an Apple Live Translation app? No separate app. The feature is inside Apple’s Translate app. Open it, tap Live, pick your languages and tap Start Translation.

What languages does Apple Live Translation support? 11 for AirPods: English (US and UK), Spanish (Spain), French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese and Korean.

Which iPhones support Apple Live Translation? iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and every iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 model, running iOS 26 or later with Apple Intelligence on.

Is Apple Live Translation available in the EU? Yes. It came to the EU with iOS 26.2 in December 2025.

Does Apple Live Translation work with AirPods 3? No. Apple supports only AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, AirPods 5, AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Max 2.

Sources: Apple Support: Use Live Translation with your AirPods, Apple: iOS feature availability, Apple Newsroom: New Apple Intelligence features are available today (September 2025), Apple Newsroom: Live Translation on AirPods expands to the EU (November 2025), App Store: Live Translation on Headphones.