Google Translate Updates Allow Background Sessions and Earpiece Playback
Google has updated its Translate app to allow Android users to keep live translation sessions running in the background, even when the screen is locked. This change aims to address the issue of long translation sessions, which now account for over a third of all live translations.
The update also extends earpiece playback to iOS users worldwide, allowing them to receive translated audio directly through their phone's small speaker at the top of the handset. This feature has already been available on Android devices.
Both changes sit on top of Google's Gemini 3.5 Live Translate model, which was released in June and covers over 70 languages. The model processes speech as it streams rather than waiting for a speaker to finish an utterance, allowing for longer translation sessions.
The update marks the latest step in Google's efforts to make translation more accessible and convenient for users. With over 1 billion monthly users and a reach of over 200 countries and territories, Google Translate is one of the most widely used translation tools globally.