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
4 hours ago at 11:10 am
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: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cnnyy20p Avatar
3 hours ago at 12:17 pm
Please add more languages.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
svish Avatar
3 hours ago at 11:54 am
Useful feature. But hopefully more languages will be supported in the near future.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jay Tee Avatar
5 hours ago at 10:33 am
It's criminal iPhone 15, 15 Plus aren't getting these.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Pudlo Avatar
5 hours ago at 10:33 am
so now we can combine two emojis? amazing...100% worth waiting! appple you are impossible!? My life without combined emojis was so empty and pointless burt now I feel so much better and will never go back to android ?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
page3 Avatar
3 hours ago at 11:49 am
Will it be able to translate American in to English?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)