Google has been working on live translation via headphones — and the company’s apps, of course — for a while. Now, access to the ‘I never need to learn another language’ service is expanding its reach. It’s also jumping from being Android-only to supporting iOS.
South African users who don’t spoof their global location will still have to wait a while longer, though. Live Translate has expanded beyond its initial Mexico, India, and United States rollout, but it hasn’t arrived in SA yet.
Google lives to translate
Instead, intrepid tourists in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Thailand, and the UK are next on the list. And it’s not just Android users getting a shot at understanding other humans. Google has added iOS support to the AI-powered feature. What’s more, in excess of 70 languages are supported.
The weird bit is, at least a few South African languages seem to be included already. The internet giant’s listing only shows abbreviations, but we can make out Afrikaans and Zulu as available options. There may even be others, but hunting down 70 acronyms takes time. Why you’d need Afrikaans or Zulu in Thailand or Spain is a mystery, but it does suggest that South Africa will get its shot at headphone-enabled live translation soon.
According to Translate product manager Sasha Kapur, “Live translate is a game-changer for getting recommendations, listening to train announcements and connecting with fellow travelers. Because it preserves the original speaker’s tone and cadence, I’m not just getting the exact words, but also the vibe of the city and the people who make it special.”
Sounds… handy. Now if we could just get it over here, please, Google.
