Hono Translate 1.2: video subtitles, screen translation and live speech in one iPhone app

Sound is still the core: keep watching your video

Sound translates the available audio playing on your iPhone and places subtitles in a Picture in Picture window. You can keep watching YouTube, TikTok LIVE, Weverse or another supported source instead of pointing a second device at a speaker. Headphones remain compatible with this playback audio workflow.

The subtitle card supports original, translated and bilingual display for Sound and Live. Make it taller to review recent lines or smaller to keep the picture visible. A source app opening its own Picture in Picture may still interrupt the floating subtitle window.

Screen: when the words are written, not spoken

Screen reads visible text in another app and shows its translation in a floating window. This opens different uses: a game menu, a web paragraph, a document or a comic page. Let the view settle after scrolling. It does not replace the original text inside that app or export a translated document.

Live: when someone nearby is speaking

Live listens through the iPhone microphone for a lecture, a meeting in the room or a conversation. Choose the language pair, allow the microphone and put the phone where speech is clear. The value is having a microphone option beside Sound and Screen, not replacing a professional interpreter or promising distant voices will be clear.

The new navigation and saved text

The redesign gives Sound, Screen, Live and Me their own tabs. Premium members can keep session transcripts to read, copy and share later. A saved text record is separate from an optional video recording, and the correct saving setting should be checked before starting a session.

What changed from the earlier sound focused app

Earlier use centred on listening to playback audio and reading a floating subtitle. In 1.2, that workflow remains the main entry, while screen text and microphone input cover situations where there is no video soundtrack to translate. One iPhone app now lets you switch between watching, reading and listening to people nearby. The modes have different inputs and do not all run together.

The public version history records 1.2.0 on October 22 and 1.2.1 on October 23, 2026. Apple records the 1.2.2 release at October 27, 2026, 19:30 UTC (October 28, 03:30 in Beijing). This article was first published on November 1, 2026; that is the article date, not the feature launch date. The three mode redesign began in 1.2.0, rather than first appearing in 1.2.2.

App Store version history

Requirements and a practical first try

Use an iPhone running iOS 26 or later. Prepare the required models and test the mode with your own content. Recognition and translation happen on the device; audio and screen images are not uploaded for translation. The app still sends limited anonymous usage data as described in its privacy policy. All three modes are free to try; Premium records and unlimited use have their own conditions.

If you came for live video subtitles, start with Sound. Try Screen next with a short paragraph you cannot copy, then use Live for a nearby speaker. Keep the same app as you move from watching to reading to listening.

Questions

Is sound translation still available?

Yes. Video and livestream sound translation remains the core workflow alongside the added Screen and Live modes.

Did all these features first launch in 1.2.2?

No. The major three mode redesign began with 1.2.0. This article uses the current 1.2.2 listing to describe the published series.

Which mode should I try first?

Sound for video speech, Screen for visible words, Live for the microphone. Start with the situation you actually need help with.

Choose your next step

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