Translated video calls
Find the right way to talk across languages
If you want to meet someone new, Hanashi is designed to help you choose a Japanese host around a shared interest, with captions and translation to help you follow the conversation. Already have someone to call? Compare the tools that translate the conversation.
Choose how to have the call.
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Format comparison
Compare conversation hosts, tutors and translation tools
Compare five ways to have a conversation. Find the right format if you want to meet a Japanese person, take lessons, practise alone, or call someone you already know.
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Scripted example
Scripted demo of translated video call captions
Read a fictional Japanese and English conversation, reveal the translated captions, and see how the speakers clarify a detail.
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Choose a way to translate, then make the call easier for both speakers.
Find someone to talk to
- Do you need a translated call app or a conversation partner? Choose Hanashi early access if the person is what you’re missing: you want to meet a Japanese host around a shared interest, with captions and translation to help you follow along. If you can already name the person you want to call, start with a meeting app you can both join.
- How to talk to Japanese people without speaking Japanese You can have a conversation with little or no Japanese if you agree on how you’ll understand each other, start with one concrete topic, and switch to writing when speech is unclear. If you need to find someone new, Hanashi early access is designed for that kind of conversation with a Japanese host.
Set up a translated call
- Video call apps with live translation Choose Hanashi early access if you want to meet a Japanese person and talk about a shared interest with translation support. If you already know who you’ll call, use a meeting app that supports both speakers’ devices and languages.
- How to video call someone who speaks a different language Already have someone to call? Pick an app you can both use and test translation in both directions. If the point is to meet a Japanese person, start with Hanashi early access and bring a topic you’d both enjoy.
- Japanese–English video call translation Use Hanashi early access if you want to meet a Japanese host and talk about something you both enjoy. Already know the person? Start with FaceTime on supported Apple devices or test an eligible meeting app with both participants.
- Google Meet translated captions for guests: what to check Ask the organiser whether their meeting supports translated captions, then test with the guest’s actual account and device. The ability to join a call or switch on ordinary captions doesn’t establish that you can read a translation.
- How to set up Japanese–English translated captions in Zoom The Zoom host sets which caption language pairs a meeting offers. Each participant then chooses their own caption language. If Japanese or English is missing, check the host’s settings first, then verify the speaker’s input language on the call.
- Can Android or Windows guests use FaceTime Live Translation? An Android or Windows guest can join FaceTime in a supported browser from an Apple user’s link. Apple documents Live Translation controls on eligible Apple devices. If both people need translated captions, verify what each screen can show or use a meeting app with a documented option for both.
Recover when captions miss
- Live captions vs. translated captions vs. speech translation Use same-language captions to catch words, translated captions to read the meaning, and speech translation to hear it. If you also need someone to talk with, Hanashi early access centers on choosing a Japanese host and using captions as support.
- Why are translated captions in the wrong language? Check three things in order: who’s speaking, which language the app is listening for, and which language you’ve asked it to display. Fix the input language before changing the output. Start with one sentence from one speaker.
- Live translation lag: how to take turns without talking over it Give one speaker the floor, wait for the translated line or audio to finish, then hand it back explicitly. A pause with an agreed signal is easier to follow than both speakers trying to fill the gap.
- How to confirm names, times and numbers in translated calls Move any exact detail that changes a decision into writing. Repeat what you think you heard, ask the speaker to type it, and confirm the written version before ending the call. A fluent subtitle can still contain the wrong name, date or amount.
- Are translated video call captions saved? Check the service’s transcript and recording rules separately from the captions switch. Live captions are what you see during the call. The app can handle a saved transcript or recording under different settings and retention rules.
Hanashi early access
Choose a topic you care about and sign up for early access to Hanashi, a service designed for conversations with Japanese hosts. Check current host and booking availability with Hanashi.