Talk to someone who speaks another language.
Open Live translate, put the phone near the person speaking, and read what they say in your language a sentence at a time. Then tap Reply in their language to answer.
Listen with Live translate
- Open Live translate and choose their language and yours.
- Put the phone near whoever is speaking: on the table between you, or held towards them. It has to hear them, not you.
- Read each sentence as it appears, a moment after it is said.
- To answer, tap Reply in their language, then say or type your reply and show them.
Read rather than listen
You read faster than anyone speaks, so the screen keeps up with a conversation where a voice would not. With earbuds in you can turn on Read aloud, but it starts switched off because it cannot keep pace with continuous speech and skips sentences. The transcript keeps every one.
This is a sentence at a time, a couple of seconds behind, not simultaneous interpreting. Slow down, keep sentences short, and let each one finish before replying.
Nothing is kept
A live session leaves nothing behind: close the screen and the transcript is gone, on your phone and with us. That is deliberate for conversations with a doctor or a landlord.
Questions
Does it translate both sides of the conversation?
Live translate listens to the other person and shows it in your language. You answer with Reply in their language, by speaking or typing, and show them the screen.
Is the conversation recorded?
No. Nothing is kept from a live session once you close it.
Put the phone between you
Read what they say, reply in their language, and let the conversation go at its own speed.
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Live translator for iPhone · Voice translator · All how-to articles