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The new Apple AirPods will translate conversations in real time

Arjus Dashi

• 2 min read
The new Apple AirPods will translate conversations in real time

Apple has just revealed the AirPods Pro 3, and among its headline features is Live Translation - a real‐time translator built into the AirPods + iPhone combination.

Live Translation lets users wear the AirPods and speak naturally, while the other party’s speech is translated into your preferred language through the AirPods. If the other person doesn’t have compatible AirPods, your iPhone can display the translated transcription.

What makes AirPods Pro 3 this different

There have been translation tools before. What’s new here is the combination of hardware + software polish + ecosystem integration.

  • The hardware upgrade includes better ANC (twice as effective as the previous AirPods Pro) and a better fit using new foam-infused ear tips so sound isolation improves. That helps ensure the translated output is more intelligible.
  • The feature is deeply integrated: not just wear the AirPods, but use gestures (“press both stems”) or Siri to activate Live Translation. The iPhone handles transcriptions in messages, FaceTime, phone calls, etc.
  • Privacy is emphasized: processing is on‐device (or partly so), so conversations are not fully routed off into the cloud.

The catch: availability, limitations, and who this is for

Even for executives, globetrotters, or teams working across borders, it’s not quite perfect yet.

  • Regulatory constraints: If you're in the European Union and your Apple account region is also within the EU, this Live Translation feature will not be available initially.
  • Hardware/software requirements: You’ll need the latest firmware on compatible AirPods (AirPods Pro 3, Pro 2 with ANC, some AirPods 4 with ANC) + an iPhone running iOS 26 + Apple Intelligence enabled.
  • Language limitations: Only a handful of languages are supported at launch. Fluency, accents, speed of speech, background noise will still affect accuracy.
  • Beta status: Some features are in beta; real-world performance may lag Apple’s marketing. Early testers say translation works well in casual conversation but struggles with fast or overlapping speech.

Live Translation on AirPods is a useful step forward. For people who regularly need to communicate across language borders, this could be a game changer. For now though, it’s best seen as a promising tool with caveats rather than a universal solution.

If you’re an executive considering AirPods Pro 3 because of this feature, my advice is: test in your region, check language coverage, and don’t rely on it entirely for high-stakes translation but plan to use it for everyday communication.