Copyright Cult of Mac
Apple’s nifty new feature that lets AirPods translate speech isn’t available for EU residents while they’re in Europe, but that’ll reportedly change soon. It’ll apparently be the end of what’s currently an odd situation: Non-Europeans can use the feature while in Europe, and EU residents can use it when traveling outside the European Union but not within the EU. EU residents can soon use Live Translation with AirPods Live Translation with AirPods is a signature feature of the new AirPods Pro 3, but is also available for some earlier models. It enables the user to hear a real-time translation of spoken communication. But Europeans are currently blocked from using it at home. A note on Apple’s website says, “Live Translation with AirPods is not available for EU residents whose device is in the EU and whose Apple Account country or region is also in the EU. “ Fortunately, the limitation is supposedly temporary. On Tuesday, the German-language news site Macerkopf wrote, “Apple has officially confirmed a few moments ago that Live Translation with AirPods will come to the EU and thus to Germany next month,” according to a machine translation. Why the EU-only delay Making the feature available in the European Union was allegedly complicated by the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), sweeping legislation intended to put curbs on Big Tech. “Apple once again confirms that Live Translation with AirPods for users in the EU has been delayed due to the significant additional development effort required to meet the requirements of the Digital Markets Act,” reports Macerkopf. This is an issue that mostly concerns only Europeans. As the iPhone maker notes, “Apple Intelligence users based in other regions can continue to use Live Translation with AirPods anywhere they travel.” Still, the change means that an American traveling to the EU will soon be able to speak English to an EU resident, and the resident can use their AirPods and iPhone as a translator.
