Teams Meetings - Turn on Language Interpretation

Summary

Use Interpreter in Microsoft Teams meetings and calls to translate conversations in real time. Participants can speak and listen in their preferred language. Supported languages include English, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Simplified Chinese (Mandarin), Traditional Chinese (Taiwanese), Italian, German, French, and Korean.

Before You Start

Turn on Interpreter during a Teams Meeting (Windows/macOS)

  1. Join your Microsoft Teams meeting.
  2. Select More actions → Language and speech → Interpreter → Turn on for me.
  3. Under Listen to meeting in, choose the language you want to hear.
  4. Adjust the Balance volume slider to control how much original audio versus translated audio you hear.
  5. (Optional) Under Choose your voice when interpreted, select:
    • Simulate my voice, or
    • Automated voice
  6. Select Turn on.

Change Interpreter Settings

  1. Select the Interpreter indicator during the meeting.
  2. Select Manage settings to change your language or audio preferences.
  3. Select Turn off for me if you no longer want Interpreter enabled.

Steps 

Turn on Interpreter During a Teams Call

  1. During the call, select More actions → Language and speech → Turn on Interpreter for me.
  2. Select your preferred language.
  3. Adjust the audio balance if desired.
  4. Select Turn on.

Best Practices

For the best translation experience:

  • Speak clearly using one language at a time.
  • Use short, concise sentences.
  • Pause briefly between thoughts.
  • Avoid talking over other participants.
  • Wait until interpretation finishes before responding.
  • Turn on your camera when possible to improve communication.
  • Share links, screenshots, or documents when additional context is helpful.

Limitations

Be aware of the following limitations:

  • Meeting recordings contain only the original audio, not the translated audio.
  • Translated transcripts are available only during the live meeting.
  • Interpretation may be less accurate with rapid conversations, interruptions, or specialized technical terminology.
  • Anonymous participants and guests cannot use Interpreter because licensing cannot be verified.

Additional Resources

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