# Live Translation on iPad: FaceTime, Messages and Calls Yes, AirPods Conversations No URL: https://livetranslation.org/blog/live-translation-ipad/ Published: 2026-11-01 Publisher: Little Tough LLC, maker of Live Translation on Headphones (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/live-translation-on-headphones/id6811201454) Live translation on iPad explained: which iPads have it, how to use it in FaceTime, Messages and Phone, why AirPods in-person translation is iPhone only. Can you use live translation on iPad? Partly. An iPad with Apple Intelligence can translate FaceTime calls, phone calls made through the iPad’s Phone app, and text chats in Messages. The setup is close to the iPhone’s. The part most people want, though, is missing. Apple’s Live Translation with AirPods, where a person talks in front of you and you hear their words in your language, is described only for iPhone. Here is what an iPad can do, which models qualify, and what to use for face-to-face talk. **Short answer:** On iPadOS 27, Live Translation works in FaceTime (translated captions), the Phone app (spoken and written translation) and Messages (automatic text translation) on iPad mini (A17 Pro or later) and iPads with M1 or later. Apple’s in-person Live Translation with AirPods requires an iPhone 15 Pro or later; Apple lists no iPad for it. On iPad, the Translate app’s Conversation view is the in-person option, shown as chat bubbles on the screen. ## Which iPads have live translation? Live Translation is part of Apple Intelligence, so the iPad needs Apple Intelligence. Apple’s iPad User Guide says it runs on “iPad mini (A17 Pro or later) and iPad models with M1 or later.” | iPad | Chip | Live Translation | | --- | --- | --- | | iPad Pro (2021 and later) | M1, M2, M4, M5 | Yes | | iPad Air (2022 and later) | M1 or later | Yes | | iPad mini (2024 and later) | A17 Pro or later | Yes | | iPad (standard model) | A-series chip | No | | Older iPad mini, Air and Pro | A-series chip | No | Not sure which chip you have? Go to **Settings > General > About** and look at the model name. If Apple Intelligence & Siri shows up in Settings with an on switch, your iPad qualifies. Two more conditions apply. Siri and the iPad’s language must be set to the same supported language, and Apple Intelligence must be turned on. ## How to use live translation on iPad in FaceTime On iPad, FaceTime translation shows up as text. Apple’s guide [Use Live Captions and Live Translation in FaceTime on iPad](https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/use-live-captions-and-live-translation-ipad3ae9be3c/ipados) describes it like this: - Download the caller’s language and yours first (Translate app settings). - Start a FaceTime video call and tap the screen to show the controls. - Tap the **More** button, then tap **Live Captions**. - When the other person speaks a different language, the captions switch to your preferred language as they talk. It works on one-on-one calls only. It does not cover group FaceTime. Our [FaceTime Live Translation](https://livetranslation.org/blog/facetime-live-translation/) guide has the iPhone steps and fixes for when the option is missing. ## Live translation for phone calls on iPad Since iPadOS 26, the iPad has its own Phone app that places calls through your iPhone’s number. Apple says Live Translation there lets you “hear and read the translation.” So unlike FaceTime, you get a voice too. - Download the languages you expect to use on calls. - During a call in the **Phone** app, tap the **More** button, then **Live Translation**. - Choose the caller’s language and your language. - Tap **Start Translation**. The other person does not need an Apple device. More on how it sounds is in [how to live translate a phone call](https://livetranslation.org/blog/live-translate-phone-call/). ## How to translate messages on iPad Messages on iPad translates incoming texts on its own once the languages are downloaded. Apple’s page [Translate text in messages on iPad](https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/translate-text-messages-ipad01dbe16fold/ipados) lists the controls: - **Change languages:** tap the contact or group icon at the top, scroll down, then tap Translate From or Translate To. - **See the original:** tap Translating [language] at the bottom of the chat. - **Stop:** tap Translating [language], then Stop Translation. Apple says the models run fully on device, so your chats stay private. ## Live translation iPad languages The lists differ by feature. These come from Apple’s iPad guide and the [iOS and iPadOS feature availability](https://www.apple.com/ios/feature-availability/) page: | Language | FaceTime and Phone | Messages | | --- | --- | --- | | English (US, UK) | Yes | Yes | | Spanish (Spain) | Yes | Yes | | French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil) | Yes | Yes | | Chinese (Simplified, Traditional), Japanese, Korean | Yes | Yes | | Spanish (Mexico), Turkish, Vietnamese, Dutch | No | Yes | | Arabic, Hindi, Russian | No | No | Simplified Chinese is not yet available in China mainland; Apple has said that changes with iOS 27.3. Every list side by side is on our [Live Translation languages](https://livetranslation.org/languages/) page. ## Does live translation with AirPods work on iPad? Not according to Apple. Its support page [Use Live Translation with your AirPods](https://support.apple.com/en-us/123185) lists “iPhone 15 Pro or later” as the requirement and never mentions iPad. Every step starts in the Translate app’s Live tab on iPhone. The Translate chapter of the iPad User Guide has no Live tab at all. It covers typed and spoken phrases, the camera, and **Conversation**. So pairing AirPods Pro 3 with an iPad Pro will not give you hands-free translation in your ears. What iPad does offer for a person in the room is Conversation. Open Translate, tap **Conversation**, and speak; translated chat bubbles appear, and you can play them out loud. Tap **View > Face to Face** so each person reads their own side. Turn on **Auto Translate** and the iPad notices when someone starts and stops talking. It works offline with downloaded languages. That is good for a hotel desk or a short chat across a table. It is still a screen you both look at, and no voice keeps talking in your ear. > Live Translation on Headphones lets you hear people in your language through any headphones on your iPhone, the in-person job the iPad leaves out. [Get it on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/live-translation-on-headphones/id6811201454) The app runs on iPhone with iOS 18 or later, not on iPad. Most iPad owners carry an iPhone too, and that iPhone does not need Apple Intelligence: an iPhone 12, 13 or 14 works. Pair any AirPods, Beats or wired headphones, and the translation plays about a second after the speaker, even with the screen locked. ## iPad or iPhone: which to use for each job | Situation | Use | | --- | --- | | FaceTime with family abroad | iPad, Live Translation in FaceTime | | Texting in another language | iPad or iPhone, Messages | | A short chat at a counter | iPad, Translate app Conversation | | Listening to someone talk, hands free, supported iPhone and AirPods | iPhone, Apple’s Live Translation with AirPods | | Listening hands free on an older iPhone, any headphones, or Turkish or Arabic | iPhone, Live Translation on Headphones app | If you own an iPhone 15 Pro or newer and supported AirPods, Apple’s built-in feature is the natural first choice for its 11 languages. The full rundown is in our [Apple Live Translation](https://livetranslation.org/apple-live-translation/) guide, and the AirPods models are on [Live Translation on AirPods](https://livetranslation.org/airpods-live-translation/). > Live Translation on Headphones gives you real-time translation in Turkish, Arabic, Mexican Spanish and 11 more languages, straight into your earbuds. [Get it on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/live-translation-on-headphones/id6811201454) The app is made by Little Tough LLC and is not made by or affiliated with Apple. ## Quick answers **Does iPad have live translation?** Yes, on iPads with Apple Intelligence: iPad mini (A17 Pro or later) and iPads with M1 or later. It works in FaceTime, the Phone app and Messages. **How do you use live translation on iPad?** In FaceTime, tap More, then Live Captions. In the Phone app, tap More, then Live Translation. In Messages, foreign texts are translated automatically. **Can I use AirPods live translation with an iPad?** No. Apple describes Live Translation with AirPods for iPhone 15 Pro or later only. **Does live translation work on iPad Air or iPad mini?** iPad Air with M1 or later and iPad mini with A17 Pro or later, yes. The standard iPad and older models, no. **Is there a translation app for iPad?** Apple’s Translate app is on iPad, with text, voice, camera and Conversation modes that work offline once languages are downloaded. **Is live translation on iPad free?** Yes. It is built into iPadOS. Sources: [iPad User Guide: Live Captions and Live Translation in FaceTime](https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/use-live-captions-and-live-translation-ipad3ae9be3c/ipados), [iPad User Guide: See translations during phone calls](https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/see-translations-during-phone-calls-jz1jmj39mawv/ipados), [iPad User Guide: Translate text in messages](https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/translate-text-messages-ipad01dbe16fold/ipados), [iPad User Guide: Translate in-person conversations](https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/translate-in-person-conversations-mq0kvy512tq1/ipados), [Apple Support: Use Live Translation with your AirPods](https://support.apple.com/en-us/123185), [Apple Support: How to get Apple Intelligence](https://support.apple.com/en-us/121115), [Apple: iOS and iPadOS feature availability](https://www.apple.com/ios/feature-availability/), [App Store: Live Translation on Headphones](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/live-translation-on-headphones/id6811201454).