Live Translation on AirPods will not work in the EU

Apple recently introduced a number of new products, including the AirPods Pro 3 wireless headphones, which, among other things, received a real-time translation function based on AI Live Translation. Unfortunately, not everyone will be able to take advantage of this advantage, as the innovation will not be available to users in Europe.

As MacRumors reports, citing the availability page on Apple's official website, users physically located in the European Union and who also have an account registered in the region will not have access to Live Translation on AirPods.

The Cupertino company does not provide any additional details about this restriction, but it can be assumed that the reason lies in the bloc's rules. In particular, the "European Law on Artificial Intelligence" and the "General Data Protection Regulation" (GDPR) are in force in EU countries, which set strict requirements for the provision of translation and voice-over services.

EU regulators are likely to want to examine exactly how Live Translation works, including what data it collects, where it will be sent, and what potential privacy risks it poses. Apple, which has already had its share of trouble with European regulators, is unlikely to enable the new feature without official permission.

Recall that Live Translation is not an exclusive feature for the new AirPods Pro 3 headphones, which, by the way, already come without a charging cable. Apple also announced that the translation feature will appear on older models, AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2.

A similar case recently occurred with some iOS 26 features, which will also not appear immediately, or at all, in the European Union, due to strict rules related to the Digital Market Act (DMA).