How to Turn on Live Translation in iOS 26

Live translation in iOS 26 turns the iPhone into a real-time interpreter for calls, messages and video chats, all without leaving your app or sending data to the cloud.

To enable Live Translation in iOS 26, first ensure you have an iPhone 15 Pro or later with Apple Intelligence enabled, then go to Settings > Apple Intelligence > Live Translation and turn the feature on, or activate it directly within the Phone, FaceTime, or Messages app during a call or conversation. 

1. Check Device and Software Requirements 

• Hardware: You need an iPhone 15 Pro or later.
• Software: You must be running a recent version of iOS, such as iOS 17 or later, and have Apple Intelligence enabled.
• Languages: Your iPhone’s language and Siri language must be set to one of the supported languages, such as English, French, German, Portuguese, or Spanish.

2. Activate Live Translation

• For Phone/FaceTime calls: .
  During a call, tap the “More” button and then select “Live Translation” to activate the feature. 
  
• For Messages: .
  In a conversation, you can tap on the name at the top and then toggle on “Automatically Translate”. 
  
• In the Translate app: .
  Open the Translate app, select the languages you want to translate between, and then tap the microphone icon to speak your phrase. 
  

How Live Translation Works

• On the Phone app: .
  The iPhone translates spoken language in real-time during a one-on-one call, with translations displayed on your screen and spoken to you through your headphones. 
  
• On FaceTime: .
  Live translation provides real-time captions that appear on your screen in your chosen language. 
  
• In Messages: .
  As you type a message, it is automatically translated into your recipient’s language, and their replies are translated back to you.