Live Translation with AirPods won't come to EU-based Apple users

Published: Thursday, September 11, 2025 at 12:54 pm

Apple's Live Translation Feature Unavailable in the EU

Apple's new Live Translation feature for AirPods will not be available to users within the European Union for the time being. The company confirmed this restriction on its iOS feature availability page, stating that the feature is unavailable if a user's Apple Account Country or Region is within the EU.

The reason for this exclusion has not been officially disclosed by Apple. However, speculation points to the EU's stringent regulations concerning artificial intelligence and data privacy as a potential factor. The EU has established strict guidelines, particularly regarding "high-risk use cases" of AI, which could involve potential discrimination or privacy violations.

The EU may be scrutinizing the feature to ensure that any data collected during translation is stored securely and locally within the bloc. This would align with the EU's commitment to protecting user data and privacy.

The Live Translation feature, which was initially unveiled at WWDC and further highlighted during Apple's recent event, allows users with AirPods to communicate seamlessly with speakers of other languages. The feature provides real-time translation, either through the AirPods themselves or via the user's iPhone.

The feature is compatible with iPhone 15 and later devices running Apple Intelligence, as well as AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods 4. Currently, Live Translation supports real-time translation between English, French, German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish. Apple plans to expand this to include Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified) later in 2025.

BNN's Perspective:

While the EU's cautious approach to AI and data privacy is understandable, the exclusion of a potentially useful feature like Live Translation for its citizens is unfortunate. Striking a balance between innovation and regulation is crucial, and hopefully, Apple and the EU can find a solution that allows European users to benefit from this technology while adhering to privacy standards.

Keywords: Apple, AirPods, Live Translation, EU, European Union, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Privacy, iOS, iPhone, Translation, Technology, Data Privacy, Regulations, Apple Intelligence

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