(Credit: Google/YouTube)
Google Meet’s Speech Translation feature is out of its testing phase and is now generally available for most Workspace customers.
Announced at Google I/O last May, the feature provides AI-generated voice translations as you speak, in a voice that sounds very much like yours.
Until recently, Speech Translation was limited to Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers as well as testers who signed up via the Enterprise Alpha program. On Jan. 27, however, Google expanded the feature to Workspace’s Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, and Frontline Plus customers. The feature is also available to Workspace Business and Education subscribers who purchase AI Pro or AI Ultra as an add-on.
Google has opted for a staggered release. It may take more than 15 days for Speech Translation to appear in your video calls, the company says.
Once available, an eligible user can turn on Speech Translation for everyone in the meeting by clicking the Meeting Tools menu (nine dots) at the bottom right. After that, attendees who wish to hear the translation can tap the translation icon at the top right of their screens. Google’s support page explains a few other adjustments you can make.
At launch, Speech Translation supports translations between speakers in English and Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese. However, only one language pair can be enabled in a meeting. Another limitation is that the feature is only available on desktop. Support for Android and iOS will be added “in the coming months,” Google says.
Google Meet, meanwhile, has supported live subtitle translations for meetings since 2022.