Google planning Gemini live translation feature for headphones: Here’s how it will work

Gemini

Google is gearing up to bring Gemini-powered live translation to a wider range of headphones, expanding a feature that was once limited to the company’s Pixel Buds. The update, currently rolling out in beta, integrates Gemini’s latest translation capabilities directly into the Google Translate app. According to Google, the aim is to make real-time language interpretation accessible through “any pair of headphones” equipped with a microphone.

The live translation experience is powered by Gemini’s speech-to-speech intelligence, which processes what you hear and returns a natural, context-aware interpretation. Instead of translating each word literally, Gemini analyses the intent and meaning behind phrases, delivering results that sound more accurate and conversational.

Google VP of product and search, Rose Yao, explained that Gemini is designed to handle nuanced expressions. She noted that idioms like “stealing my thunder” are translated meaningfully rather than word-for-word, allowing users to get translations that better reflect the speaker’s intent.

To use the feature, Android users simply need to pair their headphones, open the Google Translate app and tap the “Live translate” button. The app listens through the headphone microphone and provides immediate spoken and on-screen translations. The experience is designed for travellers, students, and anyone communicating across languages in real time.

Google says the feature supports more than 70 languages and works on most headphones, provided they include a functioning microphone. While the capability is available in beta across the U.S., India and Mexico, it remains limited to Android devices for now. iPhone users will need to wait until 2026, when Google plans to bring the feature to iOS.

Previously, this translation mode required Pixel Buds, but extending support to third-party headphones takes Google a step closer to universal live translation on mobile devices.