Although 24 official languages and a total of 287 languages are spoken within the European Union, the Live Translation feature offered with Apple’s AirPods is currently unavailable within EU borders. According to the statement on the company’s iOS features page, Live Translation with AirPods cannot be used if you are within the EU and your Apple account’s region is set to the EU.
The exact reason for this decision has not been disclosed, but it is linked to the EU’s strict regulations on artificial intelligence applications and privacy sensitivities. Additionally, it is mentioned that under the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), the goal is to prevent user privacy breaches and discrimination in high-risk areas. Next steps include obtaining approval from EU institutions, and there is also a proposal that data must be securely and locally stored within the region.
Who can use it? According to Apple’s statement, this feature will be accessible for users coming from North America and other regions while visiting Europe; however, users with a European account and located in Europe will not be able to benefit from this feature. It is also noted that Turkish will not be supported among translation languages, and no clear information has been shared about whether it will be added in the future.
How does translation work? Live Translation makes it easier for people using AirPods to communicate in different languages. If both parties are using AirPods, conversations are translated in real-time; if one person is not using AirPods, the translation can be displayed as text on the iPhone screen or played aloud.
The initial announcement and supported languages were presented at WWDC with iOS 26, and it was introduced as one of the highlights for AirPods Pro 3 during Apple’s “Awe Dropping” event. This compatibility will work with iPhone 15 and later models, as well as AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods 4. It is expected to be available with the release of iOS 26 on September 15.
Currently, real-time translation is available in English, French, German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish. It is also planned to include Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese languages within 2025.
