Over the past few weeks, Apple’s new Live Translation feature has captured plenty of attention. The update promises to make real-time conversations across languages easier than ever, turning your AirPods into instant translation tools.
While it’s an exciting leap for Apple in accessibility and communication, they aren’t claiming to replace professional interpreters. Instead, Live Translation aims to make everyday multilingual exchanges smoother — think travel, casual chats, or quick business interactions.
Still, we couldn’t help but wonder how close this new feature is to professional interpreting. So, we decided to test it.
The New Live Translation Feature for AirPods
Apple’s Live Translation feature works with iPhones and iPads to help you communicate across languages. As long as you have your AirPods enabled, you can use the features directly with other AirPod users, or in combination with your iPhone’s screen, to speak to those who don’t have them.
To use, you simply squeeze the tips of your AirPods to enable the Live Translation feature, and your words are sent to Apple’s translation engine. The translated audio plays back in the other person’s preferred language. You don’t need an internet connection; download the languages you plan to use. For example, you’ll need both language packs installed to translate between Spanish and English.
Language Availability
For now, Apple’s Live Translation only supports the following languages:
- English
- French
- German
- Portuguese
- Spanish
However, future updates plan to add the following to their list of downloadable languages:
- Italian
- Chinese (Simplified and Traditional)
- Japanese
- Korean
Privacy Concerns: How Safe are My Conversations?
The Live Translation feature is part of Apple Intelligence, their personal intelligence system designed to work locally to keep sensitive information private. Apple claims that once you’ve downloaded the language models you require, any interpreting and translation processes are done within your device.
In other words, your private discussions remain private, and not even Apple can access what you’ve said.
We Tested It, and Here’s What We Found
We tested Live Translation through scripted English and Spanish conversations, with both participants wearing AirPods since Apple recommends the feature works best that way. Marlon Salinas, a Support Engineer at Boostlingo, spoke English, while Katharine Allen, Director of Language Industry Learning, spoke Spanish.
The Tests
We ran three scripted conversations, from simple retail exchanges to more complex medical dialogues and live phone calls. Each script reflected real-world situations that professional interpreters often face, helping us compare it against human standards. As the conversations grew more complex, we could see where Live Translation performed smoothly and where it began to stumble.
Test 1: The Store Return
The script simulated a Spanish-speaking customer returning clothes to the store. During the testing, the Live Translation feature wasn’t able to fully pick up Katharine’s speech correctly. Still, the on-screen transcript made it easier for both speakers to follow the conversation despite the initial confusion.
The biggest issue is that it works similarly to simultaneous interpreting. The person listening is hearing two audio streams: the person who is talking to them and the translation in their AirPods.
It’s hard to listen when two voices compete for your attention. The mix of live speech and translation leaves the listener caught between them, unsure which to follow.
A retrial of test 1’s script yielded similar results, but the transcript failed to show up properly. The audio works clearly enough, but the on-screen text disappeared upon relaunching Live Translation.
Test 2: The Medical Check-Up
The second test simulated an English-speaking nurse interacting with a Spanish-speaking patient who came in for a regular check-up. Right off the bat, Live Translation failed to pick up an important question from the patient, which would be unacceptable from a human interpreter, especially in healthcare.
This error occurred when the patient used the Spanish verb arremanguar, meaning “to roll up my sleeve.” The feature missed it feature complet.
A professional interpreter would have repaired the misunderstanding with a simple question like, “I’m sorry, could you repeat that?”—a brief pause that keeps the conversation on track.
Later, the tool stumbled again. At the end of the script, the patient’s phrase “No, estoy bien” was mistranslated as “I’m not fine.” The system failed to recognize that the comma after no changes the meaning entirely. The correct translation is “No, I’m fine.”
“These are very common words and phrases,” Katharine noted. “If the AI can’t parse them correctly, it can flip the meaning entirely.”
Let’s take a look at how these slips show up in practice.
As you watch the test, notice where the conversation starts to drift from the script and how easily the intended meaning is lost.
Test 3: The Bank Phone Call
One of the primary issues recorded during the testing of this script is that “account number” was dropped in “last four digits of your account number.” Besides that small mistake, the rest of the exchange went smoothly.
Where it Shines
Once you’ve launched Live Translation, using it is quick, simple, and fully integrated into the Apple ecosystem. It also has multiple ways to capture conversations and feed interpretation back to participants. A speech-to-speech option is available by default, but transcripts allow participants to easily follow the conversation and see where the feature makes mistakes.
The feature also has helpful directionality cues that point to where it’s interpreting and an ability to instantly replay what one person has just said, reducing overall confusion while using it.
Where it Struggles
During testing, when listening to the AirPods, Live Translation occurred simultaneously (while the speaker was still talking) instead of consecutively (waiting to interpret until the speaker finished their thought). This meant that Marlon heard both voices in his ear at the same time: Katharine speaking and the AI’s translation.
Hearing two overlapping audio streams made it difficult to know which one to focus on, making the conversation difficult to follow. This resulted in Marlon hearing two audio streams at the same time—the voiced interpretation and Katharine speaking—and making the conversation difficult to follow.
Normally, for direct conversations, a human interpreter would work consecutively — listening first, then interpreting once the speaker pauses. This allows everyone to focus on one voice at a time.
However, what happened with Live Translation was closer to simultaneous interpreting, where the interpretation is delivered while the speaker is still talking. But unlike professional setups, where listeners hear only the interpreter through headsets, this version played both voices out loud, creating overlapping audio that was difficult to follow.
Another problem we encountered was that the Live Translation struggled to pick up less-common verbs and understand the nuances of grammatical structures, instead opting to interpret every word literally.
Availability
Users can access the Live Translation if they have the following:
- AirPods 4 (ANC), AirPods Pro 2, or AirPods Pro 3
- The latest firmware version of the AirPods
- iPhone 15 Pro or later
- iOS 26 or later
Fortunately, other people who don’t have these requirements can still benefit from the feature, as long as they can see and read along on your iPhone.
The Verdict
Live Translation has plenty of uses, especially in day-to-day interactions. But unlike human interpreters, it lacks the ability to manage conversations, understand communication cadence, and read the speaker’s intent.
So, to get the most out of it, you must learn how to pause between interpretations and lead the conversation back to the subject once it no longer makes sense.
How it Compares to Other Translation Devices
Several other devices on the market offer real-time translation features similar to Apple’s Live Translation. Below are a few examples and what they claim to do.
Timekettle M3 Language Translator Earbuds
Timekettle’s translator earbuds combine real-time translation, music, and call capabilities through the Timekettle app. The app handles pairing, language selection, and downloadable offline packs. The earbuds offer up to 25 hours of battery life.
According to the company, the M3 supports 43 languages online and 13 language pairs offline, making it a useful tool for travelers and multilingual users who need on-the-go support.
Vasco Translator V4
The Vasco Translator V4 is a handheld device with a 5-inch touchscreen, noise-reduction microphone, and high-quality speakers. It includes built-in internet access in nearly 200 countries and a Sony camera for translating written or printed text.
Vasco reports that it supports:
- 112 languages for photo translations
- 107 languages for text translations
- 82 languages for voice interpretation
- 28 languages in the built-in learning app
Pockettalk
Pockettalk is another handheld translator with a touchscreen interface and two noise-cancelling microphones. It offers real-time translation in over 90 languages and includes global eSIM and Wi-Fi connectivity. The device also features a text-to-translate camera.
Pocketalk notes that its devices are used in education, government, public safety, and healthcare, and comply with HIPAA and GDPR standards. The company also offers a mobile app for iOS and Android with similar features on a subscription basis.
Our Final Verdict
As mentioned, the AirPods’ Live Translation feature excels in everyday conversations and maybe even simple interactions in professional settings. But at the end of the day, any interpreting and translation devices are still prone to errors that, while harmless in regular exchanges, can jeopardize your experience when engaging with education, healthcare, and legal institutions. They also lack the human connection that is central to providing excellent service.
That’s why working with qualified human interpreters is still highly advisable when communicating professionally. Their experience and knowledge will prevent misunderstandings and miscommunication.
Professional Interpreting Solution
We’ve seen that the Live Translation feature isn’t set to replace professional interpreting anytime soon. If you want that, Boostlingo offers AI interpreting with smoother, interpreter-like turn-taking and supports more languages. You can also instantly connect to our network of 17,000 professional interpreters in the same app when needed.
Experience the future of professional interpretation — request a demo today.
