Apple Announces Live Translation for Messages, FaceTime, and Phone Apps

Apple at WWDC today unveiled Live Translation, a new feature that breaks down language barriers across its core communication apps. The capability works seamlessly within Messages, FaceTime, and Phone, powered by Apple-built models running entirely on-device to preserve privacy.

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In Messages, Live Translation automatically translates text as users type, delivering messages in the recipient's preferred language. Responses are instantly translated back, making international conversations effortless.

FaceTime calls gain live caption translation, allowing users to follow along with translated text while still hearing the original speaker's voice. Phone calls take it further with spoken translation throughout the conversation.

The on-device processing ensures personal conversations remain private, with no data sent to external servers. Apple demonstrated the feature with real-time travel planning scenarios, showing how users can coordinate with friends abroad without language constraints.

Live Translation represents Apple's latest push into AI-powered communication tools, following the company's broader Apple Intelligence initiative announced at last year's WWDC.

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Top Rated Comments

michaeljk Avatar
12 weeks ago
This is by far the most appealing feature of iOS 26. I am married to a non-English speaker (she speaks English okay, but has difficulty reading it on the fly) so if this works as promised (big if), that would be a game changer for her and us.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
page3 Avatar
12 weeks ago
Will it be able to translate American in to English?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macconservative Avatar
12 weeks ago
So with the release of the API does that mean that Whatsapp will be able to translate messages realtime like the android already does?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jay Tee Avatar
12 weeks ago
It's criminal iPhone 15, 15 Plus aren't getting these.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cnnyy20p Avatar
12 weeks ago
Please add more languages.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
svish Avatar
12 weeks ago
Useful feature. But hopefully more languages will be supported in the near future.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)