Google’s Search Live Now Switches Languages Mid-Conversation. Here’s How to Try It.

Last updated September 18, 2026

Gemini Live languages used to be something you picked before you started talking. On September 15, Google announced Gemini 3.8 Live, a new voice model that it says “automatically detects and transitions between 97 supported languages mid-conversation.”

What Changed With Gemini Live Languages

Google put a new voice model behind its talking assistants, and that model is built to notice when the language changes and change with it. Google’s announcement puts the number at 97 supported languages.

The same model also handles live video. Google says it “processes visual inputs in near real-time,” which in plain words means you can point your camera at something and ask about it out loud. There’s a second version, Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking, and 9to5Google reports that it’s the one behind the Live features in Gmail, Keep and Docs.

Who Gets It Free and Who Pays

The language switching is free. Google’s rollout list says the standard model is available “for everyone” in Search Live, which is the voice mode inside the Google app, and that the Extended Thinking version is available for everyone in Gemini Live. If you use the Gemini app, the new model is there too, but Google only documents the language switching for Search Live, so that’s where to try it.

The paid part is the Workspace side. Google says Docs Live is for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, and Gmail Live and Keep Live are for all Google AI subscribers. If all you want is to talk to it in two languages, you don’t need a subscription.

How to Try It in Search Live

Open the Google app, tap Live under the search bar, and start talking. Those are the steps in Google’s Search Live help page, and there’s no language setting to flip because Google doesn’t document one.

1. Open the Google app on your iPhone or Android phone. Search Live only works in the app, and Google says it needs microphone permission.
2. Tap Live below the search bar.
3. Ask your question out loud, then change languages partway through or on your next question. Google says the model picks up the change on its own.
4. Tap the Video icon if you want it to see what your camera sees, and tap it again to stop sharing.

When you’re done, tap Exit. Google says your transcripts are saved in your AI Mode history in the Google app, and you can delete them one at a time or all at once.

Where It Helps

Google doesn’t give examples, but it could help on a trip, or in a household where a parent and a kid ask in different languages in the same session. Search Live reached more than 200 countries and territories in March, so it isn’t limited to the US.

What It Won’t Do

Google hasn’t described it as an interpreter. The announcement says the model switches languages with the person it’s talking to, and nothing in it says it will translate between two people in a room.

Google’s help page also says “AI responses may include mistakes,” and the camera turns off when the conversation runs in the background. The rollout started September 15, and Google hasn’t said how long it takes to reach every phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related reading: Gemini is replacing Google Assistant | How to set up Gemini Spark in Google Photos | How the Gemini Daily Brief works | New to AI? Start here