Samsung Galaxy Buds get real-time translation powers for S24 owners

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro in a box-out, with two animated people conversing using Live Translate, on blue background

(Image credit: Samsung)

Unless you've been living on a remote desert island for the past few months (can I join?) you'll have spotted the new Galaxy S24 series, which opened up a plethora of possibilities to connect across cultures and nations thanks to its growing support for Galaxy AI – some of which is also coming to last-gen Galaxy phones.

Now, you can break down language barriers using the company's Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, Galaxy Buds 2, and Galaxy Buds FE along with your shiny new (or slightly older S23) handset, with the latest update for the Samsung Galaxy Buds series.

We reported on an initial leak that Live Translate was coming to your Galaxy Buds before Christmas, but at that time the ETA on its Buds debut was the second half of 2024. It seems the update is coming early – by the end of February, to be precise. Ja voll!

Tired of that lost-in-translation feeling during important conversations (even if you have a passable grasp of the local lingo)? Believe me, I've been there. The Galaxy S24 series’ real-time translation features should let you talk to anyone, anywhere – and Samsung says this barrier-free communication gets even better with its Galaxy Buds.

Pouvez-vous l'expliquer un peu plus?

Natürlich! The watch-words to look for in the rollout are Live Translate and Interpreter. Interpreter already enhances communication by providing real-time translation using your Galaxy S24 series. But when paired with your Galaxy Buds, the feature is going to get even better, because it'll separate sound during conversation.

Essentially, you'll be able to listen to translations through your earbuds, while another person could hear the original audio through your phone speaker, helping you feel part of the conversation and eliminating the need to pass your device back and forth between a human interpreter. Plus, you'll have the option to swap the order of speech during the conversation by simply tapping on your Buds, without having to go into your phone to do it.

The nitty gritty? Of course: as you'd expect, Live Translate requires a network connection and Samsung Account login – and Live Translate is only available on the pre-installed Samsung Phone app. It's available in 13 languages at launch, but certain languages may require a language pack download.

There are a couple of other Buds-specific perks coming with the update, including 360 Audio (previously supported on phones, tablets and PCs) which will now be available for certain Samsung TVs. This means Galaxy Buds 2 or Buds 2 Pro will also be able to track your head movement to create a truly immersive soundscape.

Then, there's Auracast support for phones (so your S24 series phone, Galaxy Z Flip 5, Galaxy Z Fold 5 or S23 device excluding FE edition can become a broadcast hub, ready to ping audio to multiple earbuds and headphones) and finally, auto-switch (aka multipoint connectivity between two devices using your Galaxy Buds 2 Pro) rolling out to certain PCs including the Galaxy Book4 series.

All in all, it's a great day for the Samsung ecosystem – particularly since the excellent Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro was already sitting pretty in our best noise-canceling earbuds guide.

Becky became Audio Editor at TechRadar in 2024, but joined the team in 2022 as Senior Staff Writer, focusing on all things hi-fi. Before this, she spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing and reviewing everything from wallet-friendly wireless earbuds to huge high-end sound systems. Prior to gaining her MA in Journalism in 2018, Becky freelanced as an arts critic alongside a 22-year career as a professional dancer and aerialist – any love of dance starts with a love of music. Becky has previously contributed to Stuff, FourFourTwo and The Stage. When not writing, she can still be found throwing shapes in a dance studio, these days with varying degrees of success.