Which app translates speech to text live?

The apps that turn speech into translated text live are translator apps: Google Translate, Apple Translate and Microsoft Translator on phones, and Samsung's Interpreter on Galaxy phones. Each one listens, shows the speech as text in your language and as a translation, and can read the translation aloud. They differ in turn length, offline use and language coverage, so pick the one that fits your conversation. For a meeting, Microsoft Teams offers live translated transcription, and the organizer's license decides who can use it. For a video or a recording, the live apps are the wrong tool, and you should transcribe first.

For the full method, see the guide to speech to text with translation. For the accuracy of the translation itself, read how accurate speech to text translation is.

Phone translator apps do live speech to translated text

Each app's details are in its own help pages, and the rest of this page explains the limits in the table.

Google Translate can transcribe speech as it is spoken

Google's help for the iPhone app says that Translate can translate in near real-time while someone speaks a different language, such as in a lecture or a speech ¹. That makes it the best fit for listening to a talk in another language. On Android, the Speak button takes the same kind of input, and Google says that when the Speak button is disabled, the spoken language cannot be translated ². If voice is missing, read why Google Translate voice is not working.

Apple Translate detects turns without a tap

On iPhone, Apple's Translate app has a Conversation mode, and its Auto Translate option removes the tap for each turn. Apple says that with Auto Translate on, the iPhone detects when a speaker starts and stops, so you do not tap the microphone for each turn ³. That removes the tap at each turn in a face-to-face conversation. Apple's Conversation mode also works offline for downloaded languages, which is covered in the question on offline voice typing on phones.

Microsoft Translator limits each speaker to 20 seconds

Microsoft's Translator FAQ says the maximum duration for each speaker in auto-mode speech translation is 20 seconds ⁴, and that limit is stated for the Android app. Speak in short turns, and expect to pause between them. A lecture is a poor fit for this app, which is built for turns in a conversation.

Samsung Interpreter depends on its language list

On Galaxy phones, Samsung's Interpreter app translates between the languages on its list. Its US support page lists the languages it supports, and that list includes Hindi, Japanese, Spanish and many others, but not Bengali or Urdu ⁵. Check the list on your own phone before a trip.

Meetings: Teams live translation depends on the organizer's license

Microsoft Teams can show live translated transcription in a meeting, but the organizer's license decides who gets it. Microsoft says the meeting or event organizer must have a Teams Premium license for attendees to use live translated transcription ⁶. If you are an attendee on a plan without Premium, ask the organizer before the meeting, or use a phone translator app on your own device.

Videos and recordings need transcribe first, then translate

Live translator apps are built for turns in a conversation, not for a finished video. For a recording, the common route is transcription followed by translation. OpenAI's translations endpoint translates speech into English only ⁷, so the speech in a video can be turned into English text in one step, but not into other languages. For the steps, read how to translate a video into English subtitles.

If you want an offline option on a personal computer, Buzz describes itself as transcribing and translating audio offline on a personal computer ⁸. Check the accuracy on a sample of your own audio before you rely on it, because the sound quality and the language decide the result.

It depends on the situation

• Face to face, on a phone: Apple Translate with Auto Translate, or Google Translate, depending on your device and the language pair.
• Short turns on Android: Google Translate's Speak button is one option, and Microsoft Translator also works in short turns.
• A meeting: Teams live translated transcription, if the organizer has Premium. Otherwise, a phone app on your own device.
• A video or recording: transcribe and translate in two steps, and check the output against the audio.
• Offline or private audio: pick a tool whose speech step runs on the device, and test it in airplane mode before you travel.

What to do

1. Name the situation: conversation, meeting, lecture or recording.
2. Check the language list on your device for both the language you speak and the one you want.
3. Test the pair with a short, real sentence, and read the transcript and the translation.
4. Keep turns short and read names and numbers back on screen.
5. Use a person for anything legal, medical or important.

Related answers: how to use voice input in Google Translate, which APIs combine speech to text and translation, and how to voice type in Bangla and get English text. For the term, see speech translation. The overview of dictation languages, accents and voice translation compares the tools by language.