Live translation guides
Is there free live translation on a Mac?
Yes. In SpeechShield, choose this Mac for translation and it uses the speech recognition and translation built into macOS: no cost, and your voice never leaves the Mac. All you need is a free account; no card.
Using it for free
- Install SpeechShield and sign in with a free account.
- In Settings → AI, choose this Mac for speech recognition and translation.
- On Home, pick Translation and set the original and translation languages. A download button appears for a language pair you haven't used yet.
- Once downloaded, translation works without an internet connection.
This Mac vs cloud translation
- Languages: this Mac needs one original language, from the ones macOS supports. Cloud translation detects the language on its own and follows when it changes.
- Mixed speech: on this Mac, words in another language can come out spelled by sound. For meetings full of English terms in another language, the cloud is more accurate.
- Flow: this Mac translates each stretch of speech once it's final; cloud live translation streams the original and translation together while people talk.
- Cost: this Mac is free, SpeechShield-hosted AI uses your plan's allowance, and your own API key is billed by the provider.
Trying cloud translation for free
Signing up gives a one-time 60-minute trial of SpeechShield-hosted AI. Listen to the same meeting or video on this Mac and in the cloud, and pick.
Related questions
Which languages work with translation on this Mac?
Only the languages macOS supports. Open the ⋯ menu next to This Mac in the connection list under Settings → AI to see them.
How long is history kept on the free plan?
Session history is encrypted on your Mac, and the Free plan opens the last 7 days. Older records aren't deleted; they open again on a paid plan.
Try live translation captions on your Mac for free
It shows audio from calls and videos as original and translated captions. No card needed.