Five ways to make a phone call in a language you don’t speak
You can translate the call live while you talk, bring in a human interpreter, or let an AI make the whole call and write back. The right choice depends on whether you want to be on the line. Facts below come from each provider’s own pages, checked on 7 November 2026.
Updated · AskLucien product team
Calls support 82 languages. The app interface is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Chinese, Japanese, Polish, Arabic, Korean, Turkish, Greek, Romanian and Czech.
The options at a glance
| Option | Are you on the call? | Languages | What you need | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live translation built into your phone | Yes | 10 to 24, depending on the phone | A recent Pixel, Samsung Galaxy or iPhone | Included with the phone |
| Translated-call apps | Yes | Varies by app | The app or a browser | Per minute |
| Human phone interpreter | Yes, with the interpreter | Hundreds | A phone | About $1.25 to $3.95 a minute |
| AI that makes the call for you | No | 12 to 82, depending on the service | The app or a browser | Per call or per minute |
| A person you know, or your hotel | No | Theirs | Someone available | Usually free |
1. Live translation built into your phone
You make the call yourself and the phone translates both sides as you talk.
- Google Pixel: Live Translate for calls, called Voice Translate on the Pixel 10. It needs a Pixel 10 or later and translates between English and French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Swedish.
- Samsung Galaxy: Live Translate, on select Galaxy phones and tablets with One UI 6.1 or later. Samsung lists 24 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese, and describes these Galaxy AI basic features as free.
- iPhone: Live Translation in the Phone app. It needs Apple Intelligence (iPhone 15 Pro or later) and supports English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain) and Mandarin Chinese. Apple says it may not be available in every region.
Best when you want to steer the conversation and your language pair is supported.
2. Translated-call apps
Some apps translate a call live without a particular phone. 1aicall runs on iOS, Android, Mac and the web, and its first translated call of up to 2 minutes is free. LocalCall.ai offers translated calls in the browser from $0.23 a minute. The other person does not need the app.
3. A human phone interpreter
An interpreter joins the call and translates for both sides. LanguageLine’s pay-as-you-go service costs $3.95 a minute for audio in more than 270 languages; DayInterpreting starts from $1.25 a minute for common languages.
Best for medical, legal or sensitive conversations, where nuance matters and a person should be accountable for the translation.
4. An AI that makes the call for you
You write what you need in your own language. The AI calls in the other person’s language and writes back with the answer. You are not on the call at all.
- AskLucien: 82 languages, more than 200 countries and territories, on the web, iPhone and Android. It shows the cost before dialling and sends back the answer, a summary, the full transcript and a translation.
- Tomi: 12 languages and 35 destinations, on the web and inside Claude, ChatGPT or Telegram.
- LocalCall.ai and 1aicall also offer an AI agent that calls for you, alongside live translation.
Llama a la clínica dental Sonrisa en Valencia y pregunta si tienen una cita para una limpieza el martes por la tarde.
Best for short, practical calls: a booking, an appointment, opening hours, a price. See how Lucien makes calls.
5. A person you know, or your hotel
A friend who speaks the language, or the front desk where you are staying, is still a good option when they have time. It is free, but it depends on someone else being available.
How to choose
- You want to talk yourself and your language is supported on your phone: use its built-in live translation.
- Your phone doesn’t support it: use a translated-call app.
- The conversation is medical, legal or sensitive: use a human interpreter.
- You need a clear answer and would rather not be on the call: use an AI that calls for you.
For a side-by-side of services that call abroad, see phone concierges for calling businesses abroad. For how AI calling compares with human assistants and receptionists, see compare calling options.
Questions and answers
- What do people use to make phone calls in foreign languages?
- Live translation built into Pixel, Samsung Galaxy and iPhone; translated-call apps such as 1aicall; human phone interpreters; and AI assistants such as AskLucien that make the whole call for you.
- Can I make a call in a language I don’t speak without being on the line?
- Yes. An AI calling assistant such as AskLucien makes the call in the other person’s language and sends you the answer, the transcript and a translation.
- Is live call translation free?
- The features built into Pixel, Samsung Galaxy and iPhone come with the phone. Translated-call apps and interpreters charge per minute.
- Which option covers the most languages?
- Human interpreting services cover the most, with LanguageLine listing more than 270. Among AI options, AskLucien speaks 82 languages on the call.
- When were these facts checked?
- On 7 November 2026, on each provider’s own pages. Features and prices change, so check before you rely on them.