With the arrival of , Apple’s Live Translation feature for AirPods is now ready for use. It’s available on older models of the company’s earbuds, so you don’t need the new to access it. There are some hardware and software requirements though, so let’s dive into what you’ll need before you can start translating conversations.
Hardware requirements
Live Translation on AirPods only works on models with the H2 chip. This includes the , and AirPods Pro 3. You’ll also need an iPhone that can run Apple Intelligence, which is the iPhone 15 Pro, Pro Max or any member of the iPhone 16 or iPhone 17 lineups.
Once you have your hardware at the ready, you’ll need to make sure Apple Intelligence is turned on in the Settings app on your iPhone. You’ll also need to make sure that Apple’s Translate app is installed as it’s needed to power this whole thing. Lastly, your AirPods should be on the , and you can check that in the AirPods settings menu on your iPhone.
Step 1: Download languages for Live Translation
The first step towards using Live Translation is to download the languages you’ll need. What’s more, you’ll have to download both the language you’re speaking and the one the other person is speaking. For example, if you’re translating Spanish to English, you’ll need to download both the Spanish and English language packs (yes, even if your phone’s system is already set to English). I’d recommend downloading all of the languages you think you’ll need before traveling, that way you aren’t trying to do so in the moment you need them.
Once this is done, all of the processing for Live Translation will happen on your iPhone and your conversation data is private. You will also be able to use Live Translation offline, too, so you won’t have to worry about finding a Wi-Fi connection or buying a local SIM card.
How to complete the download process:
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Put your AirPods in your ears and make sure they’re connected to your iPhone.
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Go to the Settings app and tap the name of your AirPods on the main menu.
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Under the Translation section, tap Languages and then select the ones you want to download by tapping the download icon (downward arrow on the right).
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This screen will show what languages you’ve downloaded and which ones are available. At launch, Live Translation works with English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish. Support for Italian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese (simplified) is coming by the end of the year.
Step 2: Set up a conversation
After you’ve downloaded the languages you need, you’ll have to set up a Live Translation conversation before you can start talking. This tells the Translate app which language to listen for and which one to translate it to.
To set up a Live Translation conversation you need to:
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Put your AirPods in your ears and make sure they’re connected to your iPhone.
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Double check to make sure Apple Intelligence is turned on. A quick way to confirm this is by long-pressing the Camera Control key or pressing the power and volume up buttons at once to see if the Visual Intelligence interface appears.
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Go to the Translate app and tap “Live” on the menu along the bottom.
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Select the language the other person is speaking.
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Select the language you want your AirPods to translate to.
Step 3: Use Live Translation
After you’ve completed all of those set-up steps, you’re ready for a Live Translation session. There are a number of ways to activate the feature when it’s ready to use, and some of them allow you to do so without even having to reach for your phone.
All the ways you can start Live Translation:
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Go to the Translate app, select Live from the menu and then tap Start Translation.
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Set the Action button on your iPhone to automatically start Live Translation when you’re wearing your AirPods.
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Press and hold the stems on both AirPods at the same time.
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Ask Siri by saying “Siri, start Live Translation.”
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Open Control Center by swiping down from the top right corner of your screen, then tap Translate.
How to use Live Translation in a conversation:
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After you’ve done one of the five options above, your session will begin. If you don’t open the Translate app, you’ll see a notification and a Live Translation icon will remain in the Dynamic Island. You’ll also hear a chime in your AirPods and Siri will let you know the translation has begun.
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Listen to the other person speaking. AirPods will translate what the person says to your selected language. Active noise cancellation (ANC) will automatically turn on to lower the voice of the speaker and environmental noise so that you can focus on Siri’s translated speech.
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In very noisy settings, you can use your iPhone’s microphones in addition to AirPods to enhance performance. To do this, simply move your phone closer to the person speaking.
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Say your response as you would during a normal conversation.
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Use the Live tab in the Translate app to show a transcript on your iPhone to the person you’re speaking with. You can also press the Play button to hear an audible translation over your iPhone speaker.
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The person you’re speaking with can also use AirPods to hear your translated responses. They will need a compatible set of AirPods, an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence and to set up and start a Live Translation themselves.
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To stop Live Translation, tap the X button in the Translate app.
A word of caution
Apple’s Live Translation feature is still in beta at this time. And since the tool relies on generative models for translation, the company warns that the results may be “inaccurate, unexpected or offensive.” You’ll want to double check any important information — like addresses, directions and contact information — for accuracy.
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