Skype's Real-Time Translator Is Now Available for Everyone to Try

Microsoft has been previewing its powerful Skype Translator for nearly six months, and the company is now ready for anyone to test the software. While the previous releases, including support for Italian and Chinese, have been limited to a small group of testers, Microsoft is removing the sign-up requirement today to open the preview to the masses. That means anyone can now use Skype Translator to translate English, Spanish, Italian, and Mandarin in real-time.

Skype Translator works by using a modified version of the Skype Windows 8 app to translate spoken words into text or audio. We first used the software back in December during an early preview, and while there were a few translation issues it works well enough to hold a conversation in a language you do not understand. Early adopters have provided feedback to Microsoft over the course of the past five months, and now it’s time for everyone to test Skype Translator and see if it really will change the way we communicate. Microsoft’s Skype Translator app is only available on Windows right now, and you’ll need a Windows 8 or Windows 10 PC to download the app from the Windows Store.

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