AirPods Live Translation Feature Potentially Included in Upcoming iOS 19 Update
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Gear up, AirPods Owners! If you're rocking a pair of AirPods, get ready for a slick upgrade coming your way later this year, that is, unless you were a Google customer in the past - this might feel like déjà vu. As per tech guru Mark Gurman's latest scoop, Apple is cooking up a live translation feature for AirPods, set to drop with iOS 19. The details are wrapped tighter than a mummy, so the compatible AirPods models aren't exactly clear yet. But given that most new AirPods features seem to favor the second-gen AirPods Pro recently, my money's on those bad boys—possibly even the AirPods 4, if Apple's feeling generous (crossing my fingers for AirPods Max).
Gurman's sources have been sworn to secrecy, but here's a gist of how the feature works: When someone talks to you in a different language, your AirPods will magic their words into your target language. When you respond, your iPhone jumps in to translate back into the other speaker's language and reads it out loud.
AirPods aren't the first to dabble in this cutting-edge technology. Google's Pixel Buds have been sporting live translation for years via "Conversation" mode in the Translate app. If you've got the right earbuds and an Android phone, simply open the Translate app, and ask your Pixel Buds to translate something in another language. With a kick of Conversation mode, your Pixel Buds will play the translation in your ear; no need for a separate speaker. It's sweet hearing the translation right in your ear, eh?
It's unclear if Apple's feature will function the same way through its proprietary Translate app. The fact that your iPhone speaks its translation of your response sounds a lot like Google's strategy, so it seems probable that you'll need the Translate app open for your AirPods to translate the other party's words, just as with Android devices. Apple's app also boasts a Conversation mode, so you can already enjoy a live translation experience on an iPhone. Give it a spin if you're craving a taste of what might be coming to AirPods once (or if) it lands there.
Apple will probably unveil iOS 19 and all its new goodies at WWDC in June. After revealing the software, Apple will spend the summer refining it, before releasing it to compatible iPhones come fall.
- The futuristic live translation feature for AirPods,slated for release with iOS 19, could make them as strong as Google's Pixel Buds in terms of technological advancement.
- If Apple decides to keep a consistent trend of favoring second-gen AirPods Pro and potentially AirPods 4 for new features, users could benefit from live translation without needing to upgrade to AirPods Max.
- Unless Apple chooses a different approach, users might need to have the Translate app open on their iPhones to enable the live translation feature for AirPods, similar to how it works with Android devices and Google's Pixel Buds.
