Apple Delays Live Translation Feature for AirPods in European Union Due to Regulatory Concerns

Apple recently confirmed an intriguing new capability for its AirPods family, known as Live Translation, to change the way people communicate in real-time, regardless of languages. The sophisticated feature will translate audio in real-time to facilitate instant conversations between people speaking different languages with only an iPhone and compatible AirPods. Apple has now made a significant disclosure that the feature won't be at launch for customers based in the European Union (EU).

Why is Live Translation Feature Delayed in the EU?

The limitation is due to stringent interoperability obligations mandated by the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA). Apple explained that the limitation is particularly when both of the following are true: the user is geographically within the EU, and their Apple Account region is an EU country. This is reportedly because regulators have been thoroughly scrutinizing a number of significant issues such as protection of users' privacy, getting consent from users, data flow rules, and personal rights of individual users.

This comes as a reminder of previous delays Apple experienced when implementing its Apple Intelligence AI capabilities across the region, which came months later than in other markets. These repeated challenges reflect the regulatory difficulties large technology businesses encounter in launching breakthrough technologies within the EU.

How Does Live Translation Work?

When made fully available, Apple's Live Translation has the potential to boost world communication in a big way. The feature offers real-time transcriptions on the iPhone screen in real-time when one is communicating with a non-AirPods user. Meanwhile, for two AirPods users who are compatible, the feature uses Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) to mute the original speech and deliver cleaner and more accurate translation.

This frictionless experience will enable travelers, businesspeople, and ordinary users to transcend linguistic barriers without obstacles or requiring third-party translation software or services.

Requirements and Supported Devices

To utilize the Live Translation feature, users must have:

• An iPhone running iOS 26 or later with Apple Intelligence enabled.

• Compatible AirPods models, specifically:

  - AirPods Pro 3

  - AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation

  - AirPods Pro 2

A necessary firmware update for the AirPods will roll out on September 15, coinciding with the iOS 26 official release.

Supported Languages and Future Expansion

At launch, Apple will provide support for the following languages:

• English (UK and US)

• French

• German

• Brazilian Portuguese

• Spanish

  
  

Later this year, Apple plans to expand the supported languages, adding:

• Italian

• Japanese

• Korean

• Simplified Chinese

But for EU users, Apple has not yet announced any firm timeline for when the feature will come, so many are left waiting for more regulatory clearances.

The Live Translation feature has the potential to change real-time communication, particularly in a more and more globalized world where cross-border conversations are a norm. Nevertheless, thanks to more stringent EU regulations, locals and tourists in Europe will have to wait longer before they can enjoy this innovative functionality.

For Apple fans, corporate professionals, and frequent travelers outside of the EU, the September 15 update is a major step forward in hands-free, real-time translation technology.