It just got much easier to talk to people who speak different languages with the latest update from Apple. iOS 26 introduces a powerful new feature called Live Translation that can turn your phone into a personal interpreter. This smart tool works in real time to help you understand conversations better.
What to know about iOS 26
Apple announced the iOS 26 OS at the Worldwide Developers Conference 2025 on June 9th.
The current iPhone system is iOS 18, but Apple plans to jump forward to iOS 26 later this year. The company chose to match its iOS numbers with a yearly system similar to the way car companies name their models. All Apple systems released in late 2025 will carry the 26 label to indicate they belong to the year 2026.
The update includes several features, such as Visual Intelligence and the return of Photos tabs, but Live Translation stands out as the most impressive addition and could change how people use their phones in many different situations. Business travelers can use it for international meetings to understand presentations in foreign languages. Restaurant workers can help customers who speak different languages to translate menu items and take orders without confusion and online casino players can now join live dealer games where dealers speak different languages.
Which iPhones can get iOS 26?
Some older iPhone models that currently use iOS will not work with the new iOS 26 update. Any iPhone made in 2019 or later can run the update, which means phones such as the XR and XS are left out.
Compatible iPhone models include:
- iPhone SE (second generation and newer models)
- iPhone 11 (all models)
- iPhone 12 (all models)
- iPhone 13 (all models)
- iPhone 14 (all models)
- iPhone 15 (all models)
- iPhone 16 (all models)
How iOS 26’s Live Translation helps
Many people interact daily for various reasons, and they do so mainly in a common language. Now imagine if more people could communicate in different languages. The new feature aims to bring multilingual communication to the over one billion iPhone users available globally. Users will be able to use live translation in apps such as:
Face Time
Callers will be able to read on-screen captions as they speak during video calls with friends, family and coworkers. The captions appear as subtitles at the bottom of the screen while visual overlays show translated text in real time. There is no voice translation of the other caller’s words, meaning you will still hear their original language but can read what they’re saying in your preferred language.
Messages
Users can instantly translate text into the language that the recipient prefers with this new feature. Recipients can also translate text into their preferred language. The tool will be able to decode voice input in real time for voice/audio messages.
Phone calls
The Live Translation automatically activates once you start a regular call. This feature works by translating speech into the other party’s language and playing the translated audio for them. The translator also displays the text on-screen for both parties.
Building on Apple’s Live Translation technology
According to Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering Craig Federighi, the iOS 26 features are to make “iPhone more helpful”. The decision to allow other developers to build on the Live Translation technology is a welcome development for breaking language barriers. Developers can now incorporate the latest version of Live Translation into third-party apps within Apple’s licensing agreements.
Casinos, for example, can bridge communication gaps between customers and staff, and between players who speak different languages. It is also an opportunity to reach more markets where language diversity challenges growth.
The best part is that while third-party developers can build with the translation tool, iOS 26 users can access it right from their devices and may not require external applications to fully explore the feature. This is going to open a new window of multilanguage communication.
Security concerns? Everything Stays on-device
Apple uses its proprietary models that run entirely on device so there is no third-party listening in to translations. All personal conversations and translations remain within users’ domains and control. Apple’s strong focus on privacy and security ensures that conversations and private data are never sent to the cloud when users activate Live Translation.
Lexy Summer is a talented writer with a deep passion for the art of language and storytelling. With a background in editing and content creation, Lexy has honed her skills in crafting clear, engaging, and grammatically flawless writing.
