APPLE TO ROLL OUT AIRPODS LIVE TRANSLATION FEATURE ACROSS THE EU NEXT MONTH

Apple will begin rolling out its Live Translation feature for AirPods across the European Union next month, expanding the real-time language functionality that debuted earlier this year in select regions.

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The update integrates Apple's on-device intelligence system with Siri and the Translate app, enabling AirPods to translate conversations in real time between multiple supported languages.

The rollout follows several months of regional testing and regulatory review, marking one of the largest functional updates to Apple's audio lineup since adaptive audio was introduced in 2023. Apple confirmed that the Live Translation capability will be available on AirPods Pro (2nd generation), AirPods Max, and the latest AirPods 4 models, requiring iOS 18.1 or later for full functionality.

HOW THE FEATURE WORKS

Live Translation uses the same on-device language models that power Apple's system-wide Translate service but adapts them for hands-free interaction through AirPods. When enabled, users can activate the feature by saying a trigger phrase such as “Translate this” while wearing their AirPods. The system automatically detects the languages being spoken and provides real-time audio translation directly into the user's ears.

For bilingual conversations, each person can wear one AirPod to hear responses in their preferred language. The feature supports conversation view on iPhone or iPad for visual confirmation, displaying translated text as dialogue progresses.

Apple said the translation occurs entirely on-device in supported languages, with additional languages processed via secure relay servers managed under Apple's privacy architecture. No audio data is stored or linked to Apple IDs.