Apple Blocks Live Translation with AirPods Feature for Users in the European Union
Apple has confirmed that its new Live Translation with AirPods feature will not be available to users within the European Union at launch. The restriction applies specifically to individuals who are physically located in the EU and whose Apple Account country or region is also set to an EU member state. The company did not provide a specific reason for the block, but industry observers point to the EU’s stringent new artificial intelligence regulations as the likely cause.
The EU’s AI Act, which establishes a comprehensive legal framework for artificial intelligence, imposes strict rules, particularly on high-risk applications. These are systems that have the potential to lead to discrimination or infringe upon user privacy. It is probable that Apple is pausing the feature’s rollout to allow EU regulators time to examine it, ensuring it complies with requirements that may govern how user data is handled, stored, and secured, potentially mandating that data remains within the bloc.
The phrasing used by Apple suggests a nuanced geo-block. The feature is expected to remain functional for tourists and visitors from outside the EU, such as North American users, while they are traveling within the bloc. Conversely, EU-based users traveling outside of Europe should also retain access to Live Translation. The restriction appears targeted solely at accounts registered in the EU when the user is also physically present there.
Live Translation with AirPods is a flagship capability designed to facilitate natural cross-language conversations. When both participants in a conversation are wearing compatible AirPods, the feature translates speech in near real-time, with each person hearing the translation in their own language. For speaking with someone without AirPods, the translation is displayed and can be played aloud from the user’s iPhone.
The feature was first announced as a component of iOS 26 and Apple Intelligence at WWDC and was highlighted again during the recent Apple event. It requires an iPhone 15 or later model running Apple Intelligence and will be compatible with the upcoming AirPods Pro 3, the current AirPods Pro 2, and the new AirPods 4. The official launch is scheduled for September 15 with the public release of iOS 26.
At launch, Live Translation will support a core set of languages: English, French, German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish. Apple has announced plans to expand language support later in 2025, adding Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified). The absence of this feature in the EU market at launch represents a significant limitation for users in one of Apple’s largest and most linguistically diverse regions.
