Apple introduced Live Translation alongside the AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 2 in September. The feature operates when the AirPods are paired with an Apple Intelligence–enabled iPhone running iOS 26 or later.
At launch, Live Translation supported English (UK and US), French, German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish, but it was not available in the European Union. Apple has now confirmed that the feature will become available in the EU in December, following additional work to meet Digital Markets Act requirements.
Live Translation currently supports English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional Mandarin), Japanese, and Korean. The system performs on-device processing to maintain user privacy while delivering real-time translations.
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When two users with compatible AirPods converse in different languages, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) helps isolate speech, improving clarity and maintaining a natural tone. If the other party is not using AirPods, translations appear as a live transcription on the iPhone screen.
The feature is also integrated into Messages, FaceTime, and the Phone app, allowing translation across both text and voice interactions.