How To Use Live Translation With Airpods

With nan presence of iOS 26, Apple’s Live Translation characteristic for AirPods is now fresh for use. It’s disposable connected older models of nan company’s earbuds, truthful you don’t request nan caller AirPods Pro 3 to entree it. There are immoderate hardware and package requirements though, truthful let’s dive into what you’ll request earlier you tin commencement translating conversations.

Hardware requirements

Live Translation connected AirPods only useful connected models pinch nan H2 chip. This includes nan AirPods 4 pinch ANC, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3. You’ll besides request an iPhone that tin tally Apple Intelligence, which is nan iPhone 15 Pro, Pro Max aliases immoderate personnel of nan iPhone 16 aliases iPhone 17 lineups.

Once you person your hardware astatine nan ready, you’ll request to make judge Apple Intelligence is turned connected successful nan Settings app connected your iPhone. You’ll besides request to make judge that Apple’s Translate app is installed arsenic it’s needed to powerfulness this full thing. Lastly, your AirPods should beryllium connected nan latest firmware, and you tin cheque that successful nan AirPods settings paper connected your iPhone.

Step 1: Download languages for Live Translation

The first measurement towards utilizing Live Translation is to download nan languages you’ll need. What’s more, you’ll person to download some nan connection you’re speaking and nan 1 nan different personification is speaking. For example, if you’re translating Spanish to English, you’ll request to download some nan Spanish and English connection packs (yes, moreover if your phone’s strategy is already group to English). I’d urge downloading each of nan languages you deliberation you’ll request earlier traveling, that measurement you aren’t trying to do truthful successful nan infinitesimal you request them.

Once this is done, each of nan processing for Live Translation will hap connected your iPhone and your speech information is private. You will besides beryllium capable to usage Live Translation offline, too, truthful you won’t person to interest astir uncovering a Wi-Fi relationship aliases buying a section SIM card.

How to complete nan download process:

1. Put your AirPods successful your ears and make judge they’re connected to your iPhone.

2. Go to nan Settings app and pat nan sanction of your AirPods connected nan main menu.

3. Under nan Translation section, pat Languages and past prime nan ones you want to download by tapping nan download icon (downward arrow connected nan right).

4. This surface will show what languages you’ve downloaded and which ones are available. At launch, Live Translation useful pinch English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish. Support for Italian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese (simplified) is coming by nan extremity of nan year.

Step 2: Set up a conversation

After you’ve downloaded nan languages you need, you’ll person to group up a Live Translation speech earlier you tin commencement talking. This tells nan Translate app which connection to perceive for and which 1 to construe it to.

To group up a Live Translation speech you request to:

1. Put your AirPods successful your ears and make judge they’re connected to your iPhone.

2. Double cheque to make judge Apple Intelligence is turned on. A speedy measurement to corroborate this is by long-pressing nan Camera Control cardinal aliases pressing nan powerfulness and measurement up buttons astatine erstwhile to spot if nan Visual Intelligence interface appears.

3. Go to nan Translate app and pat “Live” connected nan paper on nan bottom.

4. Select nan connection nan different personification is speaking.

5. Select nan connection you want your AirPods to construe to.

Step 3: Use Live Translation

After you’ve completed each of those set-up steps, you’re fresh for a Live Translation session. There are a number of ways to activate nan characteristic erstwhile it’s fresh to use, and immoderate of them let you to do truthful without moreover having to scope for your phone.

All nan ways you tin commencement Live Translation:

• Go to nan Translate app, prime Live from nan paper and past pat Start Translation.

• Set nan Action fastener connected your iPhone to automatically commencement Live Translation erstwhile you’re wearing your AirPods.

• Press and clasp nan stems connected some AirPods astatine nan aforesaid time.

• Ask Siri by saying “Siri, commencement Live Translation.”

• Open Control Center by swiping down from nan apical correct area of your screen, past pat Translate.

How to usage Live Translation successful a conversation:

1. After you’ve done 1 of nan 5 options above, your convention will begin. If you don't unfastened nan Translate app, you’ll spot a notification and a Live Translation icon will stay successful nan Dynamic Island. You’ll besides perceive a chime successful your AirPods and Siri will fto you cognize nan translator has begun.

2. Listen to nan different personification speaking. AirPods will construe what nan personification says to your selected language. Active sound cancellation (ANC) will automatically move connected to little nan sound of nan speaker and biology sound truthful that you tin attraction connected Siri’s translated speech.

3. In very noisy settings, you tin usage your iPhone’s microphones successful summation to AirPods to heighten performance. To do this, simply move your telephone person to nan personification speaking.

4. Say your consequence arsenic you would during a normal conversation.

5. Use nan Live tab successful nan Translate app to show a transcript connected your iPhone to nan personification you’re speaking with. You tin besides property nan Play fastener to perceive an audible translator complete your iPhone speaker.

6. The personification you’re speaking pinch tin besides usage AirPods to perceive your translated responses. They will request a compatible group of AirPods, an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence and to group up and commencement a Live Translation themselves.

7. To extremity Live Translation, pat nan X fastener successful nan Translate app.

A connection of caution

Apple’s Live Translation characteristic is still successful beta astatine this time. And since nan instrumentality relies connected generative models for translation, nan institution warns that nan results whitethorn beryllium “inaccurate, unexpected aliases offensive.” You’ll want to double cheque immoderate important accusation — for illustration addresses, directions and interaction accusation — for accuracy.