The short answer
On a phone, the Google Translate app listens to Russian and translates it live. On a computer it does not: Google's help page says you can't talk and translate at the same time on Google Translate for the web. Chrome can caption Russian playing in a Chrome tab and send the captions to Google to translate. Windows 11 translates Russian into English only on a Copilot+ PC, and Apple does not list Russian for a Mac's Live Captions.
Fraze is a Mac and Windows app that listens to whatever your computer plays, in any app, and writes the English line under each Russian line. Speech recognition and translation both run on your computer. No audio or text is uploaded, and after the first language download it works with Wi-Fi off.
Expect about half a second to a second of delay after the speaker pauses, and text only. It also works the other way, English to Russian, and for Ukrainian to English.
Pick the tool by where the Russian is coming from
| What it listens to | Russian to English | Where it is translated | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Translate app | Speech near your phone | Yes, as text or out loud | Offline only on Pixel 9, 10 and 11, Google says |
| Google Translate website | Typed text, or one phrase into the mic | No live speech, Google says | |
| Chrome Live Caption | Media playing in Chrome | Yes, with Live Translate | Captions go to Google |
| Windows 11 Live Captions | Any audio on the PC | Copilot+ PCs only | Microsoft says on-device |
| macOS Live Captions | Any audio on the Mac | No, Russian is not listed | Not available |
| Fraze | Any audio on the computer, or the microphone | Yes, and English to Russian | On your computer |
If the Russian speaker is in the room with you, the phone app is the right tool and it is free. If the Russian is coming out of your computer, the phone has to hear it through the speakers, and you end up reading a small screen beside a big one.
On Windows, Microsoft's list of live caption languages has no Russian. Russian appears only on its list for Copilot+ PCs, as a language they translate into English. On a Mac, Apple does not list Russian for Live Captions, or for Live Translation in FaceTime and Phone.
Translate Russian audio to English with Fraze
Install Fraze
Download it for a Mac with Apple silicon on macOS 14 or later, or for Windows 11. No account is needed.
Choose what it listens to
Click the dark audio pill. Check System audio for a call, a video or a stream playing on your computer. Check Microphone for someone speaking in the room, or both.
Pick Russian and English
Click the language pill. Set Spoken language to Russian and Translate to English. The first time, Fraze downloads the two language files, and after that it needs no internet.
Press Start listening and play the audio
The Russian appears in Cyrillic as it is spoken, and the English lands under each line when the speaker pauses. The captions button turns Fraze into a small window that floats over the call or the video.
Where people use it
- A video call with Russian-speaking family on WhatsApp, Telegram or FaceTime, read in English as it happens.
- A Zoom, Teams or Google Meet call with a Russian-speaking client or colleague. No bot joins the call, because Fraze listens on your own computer.
- A YouTube channel, a podcast or a film in Russian with no English subtitles.
- A lecture, a webinar or a conference talk streamed in Russian.
Why it runs on your computer
A call with family, a doctor or a lawyer is not something everyone wants sent to a server to be translated. Fraze turns the Russian into text and the text into English on your computer, and saves the transcript there too. Nothing is uploaded.
That also means it works on a plane, in a hotel with bad Wi-Fi, or with the network switched off, once the Russian and English files are downloaded.
What to expect, honestly
- There is a delay. The English lands about half a second to a second after the speaker pauses, so fast back and forth reads slightly behind.
- Machine translation is imperfect. Slang, names, numbers and people talking over each other are where it slips. English has a single "you", so the difference between the polite вы and the familiar ты is lost.
- It is text only. It does not speak the English out loud, and there are no speaker labels.
- It is live only. To translate a Russian audio file or a voice message, play it on your computer and let Fraze listen.
- It needs macOS 14 or later on Apple silicon, or Windows 11 on x64 with a 4-core AVX2 processor and 8 GB of memory. There is no phone app.
What it costs
The first 30 minutes are free, with no account and no card. After that it is $29.99 once or $2.99 a month, both unlimited. Because the work happens on your computer, there is no per-minute charge, so a two-hour call costs the same as a short one.
Questions
Can Google Translate translate Russian audio on a computer?
Not live. Google's help page says you can't talk and translate at the same time on Google Translate for the web, and points to the Translate app on a phone or tablet. The website only takes a word or phrase spoken into the microphone. On a computer, Chrome's Live Translate can translate captions of Russian audio playing in Chrome.
Is there a free Russian to English voice translator?
The Google Translate app on a phone is free. Chrome's Live Translate is free for audio in a Chrome tab, and Windows 11 Live Captions translate Russian into English for free on a Copilot+ PC. Fraze gives the first 30 minutes free, then costs $29.99 once or $2.99 a month.
Does it work from English to Russian, or for Ukrainian?
Yes to both. Set Spoken language to English and Translate to Russian, or Spoken language to Ukrainian and Translate to English. Fraze translates about 50 languages to or from English.
Can I translate a Russian audio or video file?
Yes, by playing it. Fraze listens to whatever your computer plays, so a file in any player or a voice message works like a live stream. You cannot upload a file for it to process.
Does it work offline?
Yes, after the first download of the Russian and English language files. Speech recognition and translation both run on your computer.
Can it speak the English translation out loud?
No. Fraze shows text. If you need a spoken translation of someone in the room, the Google Translate app on a phone can play it out loud.