Meta has officially launched an AI-powered voice translation feature for Facebook and Instagram Reels, enabling creators to break linguistic barriers and reach global audiences. The tool, announced on Tuesday, is now available in all markets where Meta AI is currently supported.
How the AI Translation Works
First teased at last year’s Connect conference, the technology goes beyond simple subtitling. It leverages AI to replicate the creator’s natural tone and voice, ensuring the dubbed audio sounds authentic. Additionally, creators can enable a lip-sync feature that aligns their mouth movements with the translated audio, creating a more immersive viewing experience.
At launch, the service supports English-to-Spanish translations and vice versa. Meta plans to expand language support significantly in the near future.
Availability and Creator Control
The feature is accessible to all public Instagram accounts and Facebook creators with at least 1,000 followers in regions where Meta AI is active. Before publishing a Reel, creators can select “Translate your voice with Meta AI,” toggle the translation, and opt-in for lip-syncing.
Creators maintain full control, allowing them to review and toggle these options off at any time without affecting the original video. Viewers will see a notification on translated Reels, with the option to disable such translations in their personal settings.
Optimizing Performance and Analytics
To support this rollout, Meta has introduced a new metric in the Insights panel, allowing creators to track views by language. This data is designed to help creators measure their growth across different cultural regions.
For the best results, Meta recommends that creators record in well-lit areas, face the camera, speak clearly, and minimize background noise. The AI currently supports a maximum of two speakers, provided they do not talk over each other.
Beyond AI: Manual Audio Uploads
For Facebook creators, Meta also provides a manual alternative: the ability to upload up to 20 custom dubbed audio tracks via the Meta Business Suite. This “Closed captions and translations” section allows for manual adjustments both before and after a Reel is published, offering more flexibility than the automated AI tool.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri noted in a recent post that the goal is to help creators reach audiences across linguistic divides, ultimately increasing the value and reach of their content on the platform.