AirPods Live Translation for group conversations: limits, languages, and an alternative without earbuds
Apple's Live Translation made “live translation” a household phrase in 2025–2026. It is genuinely good for one conversation partner. If you are at a table of four, do not own compatible AirPods, or need Thai or Turkish, you will hit its edges quickly. This page explains where, and how GotThat compares.
Live Translation is an Apple Intelligence feature that translates what the person in front of you says into your AirPods, and can show your reply on the iPhone screen. It is built for two people. GotThat is a phone-on-the-table app that follows two to five people at once, labels each speaker, and needs no earbuds; subtitles come in Chinese, English, Japanese, Thai or Turkish.
What Apple's Live Translation does well
With supported AirPods and a recent iPhone, you hear a translation of the other person in your ear a moment after they speak, and if they also have AirPods the exchange works both ways. Apple's support page frames it as translating “the person you're speaking with”. For a one-on-one chat with a shopkeeper, a host or a colleague, it is elegant: nothing to hold, nothing to tap.
Where it stops
- Two people. It translates a conversation partner, not a room. At a dinner it will translate whoever is loudest or closest, with no indication of who that was.
- Hardware. You need compatible AirPods (the newer Pro and ANC models) and an iPhone that runs Apple Intelligence. Older AirPods and Android phones are out.
- Languages. The supported list started with English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish and has grown since, including Japanese and Mandarin Chinese. As of October 2026 we could not find Thai or Turkish on any official list. Check Apple's current page before relying on it.
- Availability. Apple Intelligence features are not offered in every region, and the list changes.
- Memory. Nothing to scroll back through; if you missed a sentence it is gone.
Side by side
| Feature | AirPods Live Translation | GotThat |
|---|---|---|
| Designed for | You and one other person | Two to five people talking at once |
| Speaker labels | No | Yes |
| Hardware | Compatible AirPods + recent iPhone | Any phone with a browser, or the iOS app; no earbuds |
| Output | Audio in your ear; text on screen for your reply | Live subtitles on screen, original text underneath |
| Thai / Turkish subtitles | Not listed (Oct 2026) | Yes |
| Catch-up / topic / reply help | No | Three buttons |
| Offline | Yes (on-device) | No |
| Price | Included with the hardware | 10 free minutes a day, no sign-up |
Use both, for different moments
If you own the right AirPods, keep using Live Translation for one-on-one moments: asking directions, talking to a host, a quick chat with a neighbour. Switch to a phone on the table when the group grows past two, when you want to see who said what, or when the language is one Apple does not cover yet.
No earbuds needed. Open the web app on any phone, put it on the table, press start.
Questions people ask
Do AirPods 4 have live translation?
Apple lists the feature for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, paired with an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence. Check Apple's page for the current list; it changes with software updates.
Can Live Translation handle three people at once?
It is designed for one conversation partner. In a group it will translate speech without telling you who spoke, and overlapping talk is not separated.
Does GotThat work on Android?
The web app runs in the browser on Android today; a native Android app is coming.
Does GotThat need earbuds?
No. Subtitles are on the screen. You can use earbuds if you prefer, but the others do not need anything.