Apple announced a myriad of new iOS 26 features today during WWDC, and one of the standout features has to be Live Translation in Messages, FaceTime and Phone. Google's Pixel phones have had this feature for a few years, and with iOS 26, Apple is finally bringing Live Translation to iPhones.
Apple Intelligence will now automatically translate calls and messages during a FaceTime call, regular call, or when receiving a message in a different language. This is all thanks to the on-device LLM, which Apple claims runs on the device and keeps your conversations private.
On FaceTime, the translated text neatly appears at the top of the screen. For calls, it appears on a gradient and also shows you the language the current call is being translated from. Finally, the same goes for messages where Apple Intelligence translates messages to your device's language, effortlessly. The languages that are currently supported are:
- English
- French
- German
- Italian
- Portuguese
- Spanish
- Japanese
- Korean
- Chinese
Besides Live Translation, Apple also unveiled Call and Message screening on iOS 26. With Call Screening, the onboard AI takes the initial moments of the call for users to check if a telemarketer or a spammer is trying to contact them. If someone genuinely wants to reach out, only then will Apple Intelligence ring their iPhone.
This screening feature extends to the Messages app too. Unknown or questionable contacts are directly moved to the Unknown Senders section, which ensures the Messages app's inbox stays clutter-free.
As for the availability, the new features are currently available for testing through Apple Developer Program, starting today. Expect any inconsistencies to be ironed out till iOS 26 releases to the public later this.
What are your thoughts on Apple's Live Translation in Calls, messages, and FaceTime on iOS 26? Let us know in the comments.
