EU Users Miss Out: Apple’s Live Translation with AirPods Delayed

The European Union, a vibrant bloc boasting 24 official languages and nearly 300 spoken dialects, will unfortunately miss out on Apple’s exciting new Live Translation with AirPods feature – at least for now. Apple has confirmed that “Live Translation with AirPods is not available if you are in the EU and your Apple Account Country or Region is also in the EU.”

While Apple hasn’t explicitly stated the reason, the most likely culprit points to the EU’s stringent regulations concerning artificial intelligence and data privacy, particularly its landmark AI Act. This comprehensive law has strict rules, especially for “high-risk” AI applications that could potentially lead to discrimination or privacy breaches. It’s plausible that Apple is taking time to ensure the feature complies with these regulations, or awaiting official approval from EU authorities. Regulators might be keen to verify how user data is handled and stored when the translation service is in use, perhaps requiring it to be kept securely and locally within the bloc.

It’s important to clarify who this restriction impacts. Apple’s wording suggests that users from North America or other regions visiting the EU (and vice-versa) may still be able to use Live Translation. The restriction specifically targets those with an Apple Europe account who are also physically located within the EU.

So, what exactly does Live Translation do? This innovative feature allows AirPods users to communicate seamlessly with people speaking different languages. If both parties have AirPods, the conversation is translated in real-time and heard by each person. If you’re speaking with someone without AirPods, their speech is translated and displayed on your iPhone screen, where they can read or listen to it.

Unveiled at WWDC as part of iOS 26 and further highlighted during Apple’s recent “Awe Dropping” event, Live Translation is set to launch on September 15th with the release of iOS 26. It will be compatible with iPhone 15 and later models running Apple Intelligence, and work with AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods 4.

Initially, Live Translation will support real-time conversations between English, French, German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish. Apple plans to expand this list in 2025 to include Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese.

It’s a frustrating setback for EU users eager to embrace this cutting-edge communication tool, but hopefully, a resolution that satisfies both innovation and privacy concerns will be reached in the near future.