T-Mobile proudly says it's the first carrier to add a Live Translation feature: this is how to use it

While we're still debating whether AI is the bee's knees or the end of civilization, T-Mobile makes its bet and adds a new real-time AI feature – called Live Translation – directly into its network. If this one works as intended, it could be beyond impressive.

No apps are needed

Essentially, Live Translation should work for eligible T-Mobile users. The feature is presented as capable of translating phone calls in over 50 (fifty!) languages in real-time. The best part is that this should work on "any phone on the T-Mobile network", as the carrier claims. So, no third-party apps, heavy software upgrades or special hardware changes are required.

There's a Live Translation beta program that begins "this spring", the telco says. The registration is now open for T-Mobile postpaid members.



The company's agentic AI platform is also claimed to be the first in the world.

According to Srini Gopalan, T-Mobile's CEO, some of the biggest barriers to wireless customers are "the simplest ones", meaning that people often struggle to understand each other. He cleverly says that "when language gets in the way, the network gets reduced to just a signal. That's where the new AI feature comes into play.

Such a move by T-Mobile is only logical, given that 60 million Americans live in multilingual households, some studies show. The Live Translation feature would be great for the recent Super Bowl halftime show, which was entirely in Spanish – if only someone had given Bad Bunny a T-Mobile phone to talk through…

How to make the magic happen?

Participants will be able to activate the feature by dialing *87*, enabling live translation during calls. The approach differs from familiar translation tools that typically rely on dedicated apps, subscriptions, or device-specific support.

According to the company, the system is designed to function at the network level rather than through individual devices. In practical terms, that means the experience should remain consistent regardless of whether a user is on a basic phone or a flagship smartphone.

T-Mobile positions the feature as a response to everyday communication challenges, particularly in multilingual households. The potential use cases extend beyond family calls, covering travel scenarios, business interactions, and customer service situations where language barriers can slow or limit communication.

Whether Live Translation becomes genuinely useful in real-world conditions will depend on accuracy, latency, and reliability – I can't rule out any hiccups happening. That's what the beta program is for, after all.

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