Amazon Echo devices can now work as your personal translator thanks to Alexa’s new Live Translate mode. Like the translation functions available from other digital assistants, Live Translate is an AI-powered feature that can recognize multiple languages as they’re spoken, and translate for both speakers. The tech behind Live Translate sounds impressive, and you can read more about it in Amazon’s announcement post.
Live Translate is easy to use, and we’ll show you how, but there are some restrictions to keep in mind.
First, the feature is only available on Echo devices in the U.S. Specifically, Amazon says users must set their Echo device’s location and system language to “English U.S.” to use Live Translate. You can easily change both in the Alexa mobile app if needed, but not in all countries, and doing so changes Alexa’s speaking accent, along with the time, weather, and local alerts you receive.
The U.S. English system language requirement also means Alexa can only translate to and from English and one of the other supported languages at a time—at least for now. At launch, the full list of recognized languages is:
English
French
German
Hindi
Italian
Brazilian Portuguese
Spanish
Live Translate works on all Echo devices, but Echo Show users get an extra feature: the Echo Show’s screen displays a live translation for both speakers in each language so you can read back through the most recently-spoken sentences. That said, Echo speakers are the only Alexa devices that support Live Translate, which limits where you can actually use Live Translate. Few of us are traveling these days, and I wager even fewer carry around Echo speakers to use as interpreters while traveling in the U.S.
Hopefully, Live Translate will show up on other Alexa-powered devices (and in other countries) in the future, but for now, it could make visiting with international guests easier.
When you’re ready to use Live Translate, say: “Alexa, please translate English to [second language].” Other variations of the phrase should work; just make sure you tell Alexa which languages to translate.
Carry on your conversation as normal. Alexa will listen in and translate as needed. Note that you need to stay within close proximity of your Echo speaker so it can clearly hear and interpret both speakers.
When the conversation is over, say “Alexa, Stop” to turn off Live Translation.
[Engadget]
People forget things. It happens. While I can’t say I’ve ever forgotten the password or PIN for my phone, I totally get how it’s possible. Maybe you s
WhatsApp is more than just a text chat service—you’ve been able to use it to make voice and video calls for as long as I can remember. In fact, WhatsA
Discovery entered the streaming wars today with the launch of another platform, Discovery+. At this point, signing up for every streaming service will
Whether the loophole lasts a day, month, or forever, a new “Facebook Email Search” program again shows why you might not want to use your regular emai
Having multiple displays is a great productivity boost when you’re streaming, editing, or trying to distract yourself with a show in the background wh
Apple’s iOS 14.6 and iPadOS 14.6 launched this week, adding several new features to iPhones and iPad devices including new voice controls, expanded tr
Basic tasks can sometimes feel like a chore on your iPhone because it takes a lot of time for something trivial. For example, the Camera app keeps ope
Like every other piece of technology, the iPhone gets slower with time. Sure, it might easily coast by for 4-5 years, given the quality of Apple’s har
We are a comprehensive and trusted information platform dedicated to delivering high-quality content across a wide range of topics, including society, technology, business, health, culture, and entertainment.
From breaking news to in-depth reports, we adhere to the principles of accuracy and diverse perspectives, helping readers find clarity and reliability in today’s fast-paced information landscape.
Our goal is to be a dependable source of knowledge for every reader—making information not only accessible but truly trustworthy. Looking ahead, we will continue to enhance our content and services, connecting the world and delivering value.
