- Google is rolling out live translations to all earbuds in beta, starting in the US, Mexico, and India
- The company is also improving Gemini’s translation smarts, which can now accurately translate idioms and local expressions instead of producing a word-for-word translation
- It’s also rolling out upgrades for its language-learning tools, including improved tips on your pronunciation
Google has unveiled the next steps of Google Translate’s evolution, announcing that live translations are on the way to all earbuds, which is rolling out in beta to users in the US, Mexico, and India in the Translate app on Android.
When Google first rolled out real-time voice translations, they were limited to Pixel Buds only, but that’s about to change. The company has also shared that it’s planning to expand this to more countries and even bring it to iOS, but that won’t be until sometime in 2026.
In its blog announcement, the tech giant revealed that the latest upgrade “works to preserve the tone, emphasis, and cadence of each speaker”, allowing for more natural and accurate translations while making it easier to decipher who said what in a conversation. However, this isn’t the only scenario where live translations can come in handy.
Supporting over 70 languages, Google adds that you can use live translations in several different situations, for example, when you’re listening to a speech or lecture in a different language, or when you’re watching a movie or TV show that’s not in your native language.
Google is constantly building on Translate’s capabilities, especially when it comes to the Gemini smarts that power them. In addition to the expansion of live translations to all headphones, Google has also refined Gemini to improve translations on slang, idioms, and local expressions, using the example of ‘stealing my thunder’.
It shared in its announcement that “it’s easier than ever to get a more natural, accurate translation, instead of a literal word-for-word translation. Gemini parses the context to give you a helpful translation that captures what the idiom really means,” which is kicking off in beta in the US and India.
While Google Translate is a useful tool for standard language translation features, it also offers its own language-learning service – a Duolingo dupe that’s also getting a neat upgrade.
Google has updated its language learning tools with improved feedback, offering notes on your pronunciation as well as tips on how you can improve. There’s also a new feature that lets you keep track of your progress and see how many days in a row you’ve been learning – so you can see clearly how consistent you are.
That’s not all, as Google shared its expansion of this tool to 20 new countries, including Germany, India, Sweden, and Taiwan, to grant more users access to different learning models. English speakers can now brush up on their German and Portuguese, while those who speak Bengali, Mandarin Chinese (Simplified), Dutch, German, Hindi, Italian, Romanian, and Swedish can now learn English, creeping up slowly to the likes of Duolingo.
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rowan.davies@futurenet.com (Rowan Davies)
