After being delayed due to the regulatory uncertainty of rules surrounding the Digital Market Act, Apple has now confirmed that the flashy Live Translation feature for AirPods Pro and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation will be available in the European Union from next month.
The feature requires compatible AirPods paired to an iPhone capable of running Apple Intelligence, that is iPhone 15 Pro or newer. It will presumably debut in the EU as part of the iOS 26.2 update, which hit the developer beta channels today.
Live Translation supports a handful of popular foreign languages including French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese.
Live Translation is a free software upgrade for supported devices in supported regions. You know when you have Live Translation because a new ‘Live’ tab appears in the Translate app of the connected iPhone.
With AirPods in, a person can start a conversation with you in another language, and you hear the translated version in your ears. The iPhone Translate app can also display a transcript of the conversation, so you can speak back in English, and the other person can read the translated version off the screen.
The Live Translation mode can be activated by pressing both buds simultaneously, or initiating a conversation through the Translate app on the connected iPhone.
In theory, the feature is a fantastic idea. In practice, there is a fair amount of delay between when the person speaks and when you hear the translated version. It isn’t quite as smooth as you want it to be, but it is definitely handy in a pinch. And soon, everyone who lives in the EU will also be able to use it.
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