Google recently announced a new language feature for live translations — a feature that has been added as a pilot to the Google Translate app, that will allow users to translate in real time, live conversations and prompts in different languages. The two new features of live conversation and language learning on Google are meant to supplement language apps like Duolingo, in making it easier for users to converse in and and learn foreign languages.
As per a statement released by Matt Sheets, product manager at Google, the advanced live conversation model accounts for translations in 70 languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Arabic, French and Spanish among others.
In-call live translation apps like JioTranslate, and Galaxy AI for Samsung devices already offer this facility, wherein two people not familiar with each other’s tongues can receive a live translation to their selected language, as the other person speaks into the mouthpiece. Third party apps like Telelingo, EzDubs, LingoEase, AIPhone and others also offer this feature, each with their own range of languages that they offer translations in.
From translation to conversation
Google, with their advanced AI translation tool is choosing to focus on empowering the user with conversation skills across languages. Every month, 1 trillion words are translated on Google, through Translate, Search, Lens and Circle — the piloting of the live translation feature is in response to Google noting that an overwhelming concern among users is that of conversation skills. “Specifically, learning to listen and speak with confidence on the topics you care about,” said Sheets’s statement. To this end, Google’s AI-powered translation feature will be able to simulate conversations with the user in a different language, for practice — users can set their difficulty level and then generate real-time practice conversations with Google Translate.
Google’s place among rivals
The space for live translations in the digital space is indeed seeing a growing curve. Google is admittedly a little late to this game, despite adding the spin that their live translation app is meant to bolster and support language apps already in existence. In-call translation apps have been around since last year, with AIPhone, JioTranslate, EzDubs among the first, although the latter has suffered much criticism from users for its poor quality. During this time, Google had also announced the launch of live translation for subscribers of Google Workspace, wherein people on two ends of a Google Meet video call can understand each other in their own respective languages.
Apple’s new iOS 26 and the Pixel 10 are also coming up with an in-built live translation feature, which was earlier a facility that had to be installed in the phone from Playstore. Pixel 10, however, offers live translations in English with Spanish, German, Japanese, French, Hindi, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish, Russian and Indonesian. As for Apple’s iOS 26, the live translation feature would work on Facetime video calls as well as on android phones too. Some apps such as iTranslate, which offer offline translations as well, come with a paid monthly or yearly subscription.
Taking off from the in-call live translation and transcription feature on Skype and the aforementioned volume of translation functions performed on Google on the daily, it becomes evident that live translation is a facility that is much sought after and in demand. Google’s announcement of this pilot, closely following the news of Pixel 10 and iOS 26 launching similar facilities, was no surprise, especially given that Google Translate is among the most trusted and most popularly used translation tools in the world.
According to Matt Sheets, the AI model was “developed with learning experts based on the latest studies in language acquisition, these exercises track your daily progress and help you build the skills you need to communicate in another language with confidence.” Additionally, if two users are using the same device for translating a conversation, the screen can also be split and flipped, so as to be better visible to both parties.
While other translation apps are being developed to live translate conversations in real time, including the Pixel software, Google is looking at positioning it more as a training or practice tool for users working with or learning multiple languages. “We’re going far beyond simple language-to-language translation, and delivering an experience that helps you learn, understand and navigate conversations with ease,” said Google in their statement announcing the pilot.
“Following positive feedback from early testers, we’re excited to start rolling out this beta experience more broadly in the Translate app for Android and iOS this week,” read the statement, also clarifying that in the pilot stage of the learning feature, “It’s available first for English speakers practicing Spanish and French, as well as for Spanish, French and Portuguese speakers practicing English.”
