Microsoft Translator multi-device conversation help and FAQs

Can participants return to a conversation?

Yes, if the conversation is still active, a participant who has left the conversation can return to the conversation using the conversation code.

Can participants view conversation history prior to their entry into the conversation?

No. New participants can only see the conversation that takes place after they join. Prior history of the conversation is not visible to new participants.

How can I invite others to my conversation?

You can invite participants to your conversation by sharing the five-letter code or the QR code assigned to the conversation.

Participants can scan the code or manually enter the five-letter code. See the above section “How to join a multi-device conversation.”

How do I end a conversation?

If you are the conversation creator, leaving the conversation or closing the browser tab will end the conversation for all other participants.

If you are not the conversation creator, you cannot end the conversation for other participants.

How do I prevent others from entering the conversation?

If you are the conversation creator, you can prevent new participants from entering the conversation.

• Within the conversation, tap the gear or three-dot icon to access the Conversation settings
• Select Presenter Mode to switch microphone to “always listening” and mute all other participants.
• Select “Lock conversation” to prevent new participants from joining.

How do I prevent others from speaking during my conversation?

If you are the conversation host, you can mute individual participants by:

• Tapping the Conversation settings sub-menu
• Scroll to participants list, tap the three-dot icon, and select “mute” from the overflow menu next to their name and avatar

If you are not the conversation host, you cannot mute individual participants.

How do I remove unwanted participants during my conversation?

If you are the conversation host, you can mute individual participants by

• Tapping the Conversation settings menu
• Scroll to participants list, tap the three-dot icon, and select “remove” from the overflow menu next to their name and avatar

If you are not the conversation host, you cannot remove individual participants.

How do I speak in a conversation?

First, make sure your language is one of our supported speech languages. Check out our language list here.

If speech is supported for your selected language:

• Press and hold the space bar to activate the microphone button. When the microphone is green, it’s active and listening. Releasing the space bar will mute the microphone again.
• Press-and-hold the microphone button on touch screens, and speak while holding the button, or
• Click the microphone button with your mouse to activate the microphone.

How long can a conversation go?

A conversation can last up to 4 hours. At the end of the 4 hours, you can recreate a new conversation to continue talking.

How many participants can join a conversation at one time?

Up to a 100 participants can join a conversation at one time.

How to join a multi-device conversation

• Download the Microsoft Translator app for Android or iOS.
• On iOS and Android, open the app and tap the multi-person conversation feature icon.
• Join a conversation by entering the conversation code or scanning the conversation’s QR code
• Choose a language and enter the conversation.
• Join the discussion by pressing the microphone icon and speaking, or by typing directly into the text box. Translator automatically translates all comments into the user’s language – even if other users are speaking in a different language.
• Please note that you will not be able to speak or type from your device if the Host mutes all participants. Once you’re unmuted, you will be able to speak/type.

How to start a multi-device conversation

• Download the Microsoft Translator app for Android or iOS.
• On iOS and Android, open the app and tap the multi-person conversation feature icon.
• Tap Start or Start conversation
• Enter your name and your language, and tap Enter
• A QR code or conversation code will display where people can scan the code using their device or manually enter the conversation code to join the conversation.

I’m a business owner. How do I install this product at my business premises?

Contact us to learn more about how you can install this product at your business premises.

What browsers and devices can I use to participate in a conversation?

We support the following browsers:

• Microsoft Edge
• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
• Safari

Users can also use the Microsoft Translator app on Android or iOS to participate in a conversation. Download the app here.

Why am I required to sign in to start a conversation?

To avoid abuse of this feature, you’re required to log in with a Microsoft account, Facebook, or Google to verify that they are a real user. No user information is retained from these authentication services.

Do preset conversation codes expire?

A preset conversation code will expire when the conversation is inactive for 30 days.

How long can a participant join in a preset conversation?

Preset conversations are a preview feature with a limit of 100 hours per month per user.

What are preset conversations?

Preset conversations are conversation codes that a conversation host requests in advance and can save for repeat use. They can be used in reoccurring sessions, for example in classrooms, lectures, events or recurring meetings.

Troubleshooting speech translations

• Check the Languages page to see if a language supports speech functionality.
• Speech translation feature works only while online.
• Speak clearly, ideally without background noise.
• Translator better recognizes speakers of the languages’ native tongue.
• Translator works best when translating full sentences.

I’m giving a presentation or a lecture. What settings should I use?

Turn on the Presenter mode toggle in the multi-device conversation feature Settings pane while giving a presentation. This will unmute your microphone for the duration of the presentation.

If you are the conversation host, turning on Presenter mode will also mute other participants to prevent interruptions during the presentation.

What languages are supported by Microsoft Translator?

View our list of languages supported for both speech and text translation.

What’s the difference between starting a conversation and joining a conversation?

By starting a conversation: a user creates a new conversation with a unique code which can be shared with others. Other participants can use this code to enter the conversation in the language of their choice.

By joining a conversation: a user inputs a conversation code to join an ongoing conversation with one or more people in it.

Translating audio from movies, video clips, or external media

The Microsoft Translator app does not support translation of external media sources or files, such as movies or video clips.

Why am I unable to speak in the conversation?

Troubleshoot in the following order:

• Make sure your language is listed as a speech-supported language in the drop down list. Check out our language list here.
• Are you on iOS using Safari on iPhone or iPad? If so, there are technical limitations on these devices that inhibits websites from accessing their microphones. If you’re on an iPhone or iPad using the Safari browser, you won’t be able to use our speech features, even if a speech-supported language is selected.

If your speech language is supported, and you’re not using Safari on iPhone or iPad:

• Confirm you clicked yes when your device or browser asked for microphone access to use Translator. Without the permission to access your microphone, you won’t be able to use our speech features.
• Verify you haven’t been muted by the host of the conversation. If the host is giving a presentation or wants to prevent interruptions, they might have muted participants from speaking.

Translation mistakes

The translation system is constantly learning, making corrections, and improving its output. In some instances, it can create errors, especially when the phrase lacks context. Visit our machine translation page to learn more about how it works.

To report obvious translation errors, send us feedback and include:

• the ‘from’ language text input
• the ‘to’ language text translation output
• the expected translation output

I’m trying to enter a conversation using the five-letter code. Why do I see the “invalid conversation code” error?

Troubleshoot in the following order:

• Did the host of the conversation lock new participants from joining? If so, this is the message that will appear on screen.
• If the host has not locked out new participants:
  • Make sure the five-letter code you entered is correct.
  • Verify the conversation is still active. A conversation ceases to exist when the conversation host ends the conversation or if there are no participants active in the conversation.

Speech translation languages: what is available for which feature?

Visit our languages page for complete list of languages and features in the app.

Why do I need to use a headset to use this product?

A headset provides a close-talking microphone that produces a higher quality of recognition for the user’s speech and is less likely to pick up noise from your environment.

Using a headset, a lapel microphone or a bluetooth microphone will result in the best quality of speech recognition and therefore have improved translations compared to a laptop or a PC’s default microphone.

Why do I repeatedly see “disconnected” messages while in a conversation?

Users will often see “disconnected” messages on account of poor internet connectivity. If you are repeatedly seeing “disconnected” messages while in a conversation, try switching to a different internet network or try switching from a cellular network to WiFi to resolve the issue.