How to Translate Text Messages on iPhone: Automatic Translation in Messages, and Older iPhones
How to translate text messages on iPhone: turn on Automatically Translate in Messages, the 33 supported languages, and what older iPhones can do instead.
Can you translate text messages on iPhone? Yes. On an iPhone with Apple Intelligence, the Messages app can translate a whole conversation for you. You type in your language, the other person gets your text in theirs, and their replies arrive in yours.
Apple calls this Live Translation in Messages. It is built into iOS and has a much longer language list than the AirPods version. Older iPhones can’t turn it on, but they can still translate one message at a time. Here is how both work.
Short answer: Open the conversation in Messages, tap the person’s name at the top, turn on Automatically Translate, and choose their language. From then on, what you type is sent translated, and what they send is translated into your language. You need an iPhone with Apple Intelligence (iPhone 15 Pro or later) and iOS 26 or later. On older iPhones, copy a message into the Translate app instead.
How to automatically translate text messages on iPhone
These steps come from Apple’s page Use Live Translation on iPhone, published September 14, 2026. First check that Apple Intelligence is on in Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri.
- Open Messages and tap the conversation you want to translate.
- Tap the person’s name at the top of the screen.
- Turn on Automatically Translate. Messages may detect the language and suggest it. If it doesn’t, tap Choose Language.
- Tap the language they write in. If it isn’t on your iPhone yet, it downloads, which can take a few minutes.
- Go back to the conversation and type. You see the translation as you type.
When you send, the other person gets the translation and your original text. Their messages are translated into your language as they come in. The setting is per conversation, so a chat with your landlord in Spain can translate while the family group chat stays in English.
To stop it, tap the person’s name again and turn the same switch off.
Does the other person need an iPhone?
No. The translation happens on your iPhone before your message leaves it, and again when theirs arrives. Apple says Live Translation “runs entirely on device to keep your messages private.” So your friend can be on any phone. Only you need an iPhone with Apple Intelligence for the translated view on your side.
Which languages does Messages translate?
Messages has Apple’s longest Live Translation list. Apple’s feature availability page lists 33 language versions for Messages, against 11 for AirPods.
| Language | Messages | AirPods |
|---|---|---|
| English (US, UK, Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa) | Yes | US and UK only |
| Spanish (Spain, Mexico, United States) | Yes | Spain only |
| French (France, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland) | Yes | France only |
| German (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) | Yes | Germany only |
| Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal) | Yes | Brazil only |
| Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) | Yes | Yes |
| Turkish, Vietnamese, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish | Yes | No |
| Arabic, Hindi, Russian | No | No |
Simplified Chinese is marked not available in China mainland, for now. Apple has said iOS 27.3 brings Apple Intelligence there in December; we cover that in Apple Intelligence in China. Every list side by side is on our Live Translation languages page.
Can you translate text messages on an older iPhone?
Not automatically. Automatically Translate is an Apple Intelligence feature, so it never appears on iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 14, iPhone 13 or older, even on iOS 27. You can still translate a single message by hand:
- Touch and hold the message bubble. If Translate shows in the menu, tap it to see the text in your language.
- If it doesn’t, tap Copy, open the Translate app, tap the text box and paste.
- To reply, type your answer in the Translate app, copy the translation, and paste it into Messages.
It works, but it is slow for a long chat. Our Live Translation on iPhone guide lists every model that has Apple Intelligence.
| Your iPhone | Automatic translation in Messages | One message at a time |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, every iPhone 16 and 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone Duo | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone 15, 15 Plus, iPhone 11 to 14, iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation) | No | Yes |
iMessage translate not working?
If you don’t see Automatically Translate when you tap the name, check these in order:
- Your iPhone model. It must support Apple Intelligence (see the table above).
- Apple Intelligence. It must be turned on and fully downloaded in Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri.
- Your software. Settings > General > Software Update. You need iOS 26 or later; the current version is iOS 27.
- The language. If they write in Arabic or Hindi, Messages can’t translate it automatically. Use the Translate app.
- The download. Choose the language again and wait for it to finish, ideally on Wi-Fi.
- Your region. Apple says the feature might not be available in all regions or languages.
When texting turns into talking
Text translation solves the chat. It does not help when you meet that person: the host at the door, the coworker at lunch, your partner’s grandmother at dinner. For calls, Apple has Live Translation in the Phone app and FaceTime. For face to face talk 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.
You hear their words in your language about a second later, while they keep talking, and each phrase shows on screen with its translation below. On the Speak tab, you say your reply and the iPhone says it out loud in their language. It covers 14 languages, including Turkish, Arabic and Mexican Spanish, and runs on the iPhone, offline once a language is downloaded.
Which one should you use?
| You want to | Best choice |
|---|---|
| Translate a whole text conversation, Apple Intelligence iPhone | Automatically Translate in Messages |
| Translate one text on an older iPhone | Translate in the menu, or the Translate app |
| Talk in person, supported iPhone and AirPods, one of Apple’s 11 languages | Apple’s Live Translation with AirPods |
| Talk in person, older iPhone, any headphones, or Turkish or Arabic | Live Translation on Headphones app |
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
Can you auto translate text messages on iPhone? Yes, on an iPhone with Apple Intelligence. Tap the person’s name in the conversation and turn on Automatically Translate.
How do you send translated text messages on iPhone? With Automatically Translate on, type in your language and tap send. The other person gets the translation and your original.
Does iMessage translate work with Android users? Yes. The translation happens on your iPhone, so the other person can use any phone.
Can iMessage translate Spanish? Yes. Messages supports Spanish from Spain, Mexico and the United States.
Why can’t I translate text messages on my iPhone? Usually because the iPhone doesn’t support Apple Intelligence, Apple Intelligence is off, or the language isn’t on Apple’s Messages list.
Is translating messages on iPhone free? Yes. It is built into iOS on iPhones that support Apple Intelligence.
Sources: Apple Support: Use Live Translation on iPhone, Apple: iOS feature availability, Apple Support: How to get Apple Intelligence, iPhone User Guide: Translate texts, App Store: Live Translation on Headphones.
