Apple Live Translation now works on older AirPods, but there's a catch

At the most recent Apple launch event, we saw the arrival of a wide array of new products. Most notably, that included the new iPhone 17 series, and the arrival of the iPhone Air.

Beyond those handsets, though, we also got a new set of the brand's flagship earbuds. The Airpods Pro 3 were smaller, lighter, more feature-packed and came bundled with a major new piece of functionality in Live Translation.

That uses Apple Intelligence – the brand's take on the powerful world of AI-powered apps and features – to translate audio from the world around you in real time. Users can even respond in their native language, which is translated on the iPhone display.

Now, a new software update has brought that functionality to a slew of older models in the brand's catalogue. That includes the older Airpods Pro 2, as well as the recently unveiled Airpods 4 with ANC.

That's not the full story, though. See, even if you own a pair of compatible Airpods, you'll need a compatible iPhone to enjoy that functionality. And that means an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, which is going to rule out a sizable chunk of iPhone owners.

It's nothing new, either. Those of you who follow this sort of thing closely will remember a similar uproar when Apple Intelligence first launched, with only the Pro-level models available at launch supported – even those with a brand new (at the time) iPhone 15 couldn't use the features.

You'll also need to ensure any compatible device is updated to the latest operating system in order to enjoy the benefits. That shouldn't be quite as excluding, but you'll need to have iOS 26 installed.

If you do have both a compatible pair of Airpods and a compatible iPhone handset, you can access the functionality by pressing the stems of both earbuds at once. Alternatively, the Translate app on the phone will have a new Live tab, which gets you to the same spot.