FaceTime Live Translation: How to Turn It On, Languages, and Why It’s Not Showing
FaceTime Live Translation shows translated captions on one-on-one calls. The steps, the 12 languages, which iPhones get it, and why it may say not available.
On this page
Does FaceTime have a translator? Yes. FaceTime Live Translation turns the other person’s words into captions in your language, right on the call screen, while you still hear their real voice. It is part of Apple Intelligence and built into iOS.
It has three limits that catch people out: it needs an iPhone 15 Pro or later, it works on one-on-one calls only, and it covers a shorter list of languages than Messages does. Here is how to start it, which languages work, and what to check when it says not available.
Short answer: During a FaceTime call, tap More, tap Live Translation, choose the language the other person speaks, then tap Start Translation. Translated captions appear on your screen as they talk. You need an iPhone with Apple Intelligence (iPhone 15 Pro or later) and a one-on-one call. It supports English, Spanish (Spain), French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese, Japanese and Korean, but not Vietnamese, Turkish or Arabic.
How to use FaceTime Live Translation
These steps come from Apple’s page Use Live Translation on iPhone. Check first that Apple Intelligence is on in Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri.
- Open the FaceTime app and start a call with one person.
- During the call, tap the screen to show the controls, then tap the More button.
- Tap Live Translation.
- Tap Choose Language and pick the language the other person speaks. If it is not on your iPhone yet, it downloads, which can take a few minutes.
- Tap Start Translation. Translated live captions appear on screen as both of you speak.
The iOS 27 version of Apple’s iPhone User Guide describes it from the captions side: turn on Live Captions in a FaceTime call, and when the caller speaks a different language, the captions are translated into your preferred language. Either way, download both languages before an important call so nobody waits on the line.
How does FaceTime live translation work?
FaceTime translation is read, not heard. You keep hearing the other person’s own voice, and the translation shows up as text on your screen. That is the big difference from the Phone app, where the translation is spoken out loud.
| What | FaceTime | Phone app |
|---|---|---|
| How you get the translation | Captions on screen | Spoken out loud, plus a transcript |
| Group calls | No | No |
| Needs Apple Intelligence | Yes | Yes |
| Runs on device | Yes | Yes |
Apple says Live Translation runs entirely on the device. Since the captions are made by your iPhone, each person sees translated captions only on their own device. If you both want them, you both need an Apple Intelligence device with it turned on. Look at the screen and pause between sentences: captions keep up best when you don’t talk over each other.
FaceTime live translation supported languages
Apple lists one set of languages for Live Translation in Phone and FaceTime, on its feature availability page. Both people need to speak a language on this list.
| Language | FaceTime | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| English (US), English (UK) | Yes | |
| Spanish (Spain) | Yes | Spanish (Mexico) is not on the list |
| French (France), German (Germany) | Yes | |
| Italian, Italian (Switzerland) | Yes | |
| Portuguese (Brazil) | Yes | |
| Japanese, Korean | Yes | |
| Chinese (Mandarin, Simplified and Traditional) | Yes | Simplified is not available in China mainland |
| Vietnamese, Turkish, Dutch | No | Messages only |
| Arabic, Hindi, Russian | No | Not on Apple’s lists for calls |
This is why “FaceTime live translation Vietnamese” searches end in frustration. Vietnamese is on Apple’s list for Messages, so you can text in Vietnamese with translation, but it is not on the list for FaceTime calls. Our Live Translation languages page has every list side by side.
FaceTime live translation not available or not working?
If Live Translation is missing from the More menu, or it says not available, go through these in order:
- Your iPhone. It must support Apple Intelligence: iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, every iPhone 16 and 17 model, iPhone Air, iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max or iPhone Duo. The regular iPhone 15 and older models can’t do it.
- Apple Intelligence. Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri must be on and finished downloading. Your Siri and device language also need to be one Apple Intelligence supports.
- Your software. Settings > General > Software Update. You need iOS 26 or later; the current version is iOS 27.
- A group call. Live Translation in FaceTime works on one-on-one calls. Add a third person and it is not offered.
- The language. If the other person speaks Vietnamese, Turkish or Arabic, FaceTime can’t translate it.
- The download. Pick the language again under Choose Language and wait for it to finish on Wi-Fi.
- Your region. Apple says Live Translation features may not be available in every region or language.
If your iPhone is not on the list, no setting will add it. iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 run iOS 27 but never get Apple Intelligence. Our Live Translation on iPhone guide lists every model.
FaceTime live translation on Mac and iPad
Apple says Live Translation in Phone and FaceTime calls works with Apple Intelligence on a compatible iPhone, iPad or Mac. So you can get translated captions on a FaceTime call from a Mac with Apple Intelligence, with the same one-on-one rule and the same languages. The in-person AirPods feature is a different story: Apple documents it for iPhone only.
When the person is in the same room
A lot of people look up FaceTime translation because they want to talk to someone right in front of them: a host family, an in-law, a coworker on a visit. FaceTime is the wrong tool there. On a supported iPhone with AirPods 4 (ANC), AirPods 5, AirPods Pro 2 or later, or AirPods Max 2, Apple’s Live Translation with AirPods is the built-in choice for its 11 languages.
If your iPhone has no Apple Intelligence, your headphones aren’t on Apple’s list, or the person speaks Turkish, Arabic or Mexican Spanish, that is where our app fits.
The app listens through the iPhone microphone. You hear the translation about a second later while they keep talking, and each phrase appears on screen with its translation below. Tap the Speak tab to say your reply, and the iPhone says it out loud in their language. It covers 14 languages and runs on the iPhone, offline once a language is downloaded. It does not support Vietnamese.
Which one should you use?
| Your situation | Best choice |
|---|---|
| FaceTime video call, Apple Intelligence iPhone, language on Apple’s list | FaceTime Live Translation |
| Regular phone call | Live Translation in the Phone app |
| Texting in Vietnamese, Turkish or Mexican Spanish | Live Translation in Messages |
| In person, older iPhone or any headphones | Live Translation on Headphones app |
For spoken translation on regular calls, read how to live translate a phone call on iPhone. Everything else Apple’s feature does is in our Apple Live Translation guide.
The app is made by Little Tough LLC and is not made by or affiliated with Apple.
Quick answers
Does FaceTime have a translator? Yes. On an iPhone with Apple Intelligence, tap More during a one-on-one FaceTime call, then Live Translation, to see translated captions.
Does FaceTime live translation speak the translation out loud? No. FaceTime shows translated captions while you hear the other person’s voice. The Phone app is the one that speaks the translation.
Why is FaceTime live translation not available? Usually because the iPhone doesn’t support Apple Intelligence, Apple Intelligence is off, it is a group call, or the language isn’t on Apple’s list for calls.
Does FaceTime live translation work in Vietnamese? No. Vietnamese is supported for Live Translation in Messages, not in FaceTime or Phone calls.
Does FaceTime live translation work in group calls? No. Apple lists it for one-on-one calls only.
Is FaceTime live translation free? Yes. It is built into iOS on devices that support Apple Intelligence.
Sources: Apple Support: Use Live Translation on iPhone, iPhone User Guide: Use Live Captions and Live Translation in FaceTime, Apple: iOS feature availability, Apple Support: How to get Apple Intelligence, App Store: Live Translation on Headphones.
