How to Get Live Translated Subtitles for iPhone Calls You Answer on Your Mac

TL;DR: Turn on Apple's "Calls on Other Devices" so your iPhone calls can be answered on your Mac, then open StreamVox and point it at your system audio. Pick your language pair and live translated subtitles appear on screen the moment the call connects — no iPhone connection, no phone-line tap, just the call audio your Mac is already playing.

If you have ever fumbled through a call with an overseas landlord, a doctor's office abroad, or a relative who doesn't share your language, you know the problem isn't understanding the words after the call — it's understanding them while the other person is still talking. Here's how to fix that on a Mac.

How Does It Work?

Apple's Continuity feature, officially called "iPhone Cellular Calls," lets an incoming call on your iPhone ring on your Mac too. Answer it there, and the call audio plays through your Mac's speakers or headphones exactly like a FaceTime call would.

StreamVox doesn't do anything to the phone call itself. It doesn't connect to your iPhone, and it doesn't tap into the phone line. It simply listens to the audio your Mac is already playing — the call you answered on your Mac — and turns it into live translated subtitles on screen. In other words: StreamVox translates the calls you take on your Mac, not your iPhone.

This distinction matters. Continuity is doing the heavy lifting of getting the call onto your Mac. StreamVox's job starts after that, working with whatever audio is playing, the same way it handles a YouTube video or a Teams meeting.

What You Need Before You Start

• An iPhone and a Mac signed in to the same Apple ID
• Both devices on the same Wi-Fi network
• macOS 14.2 Sonoma or newer for StreamVox, on Apple Silicon or Intel
• StreamVox downloaded from the App Store

That's the full list. No pairing codes, no cables, no extra hardware.

Step-by-Step Setup (5 Minutes)

1. Enable calls on other devices. On your iPhone, open Settings > Phone, and allow "Calls on Other Devices."
2. Allow the call on your Mac. On your Mac, open FaceTime settings and allow calls from your iPhone.
3. Confirm both devices are on the same Apple ID and Wi-Fi network. This is what lets Continuity hand the call to your Mac in the first place.
4. Download and open StreamVox from the App Store, then choose your system audio as the input source.
5. Pick your language pair from the 49+ supported input languages.
6. Answer the incoming call on your Mac. As soon as the call connects, live translated subtitles appear in the overlay.

If you want the translation read aloud as well as shown on screen, turn on text-to-speech in StreamVox. It uses the voices already installed on your Mac — around 40 languages — and sounds noticeably more natural if you've enabled the enhanced voices in macOS System Settings.

What About Android Phones?

Apple's Continuity calling only works with an iPhone — there's no equivalent for Android phones on a Mac. If you carry an Android device, this workflow isn't available to you on macOS at all. The route for Android call translation is a Windows PC paired with Microsoft Phone Link, which StreamVox also supports; see our guide to translating phone calls on Windows for that setup.

Is the Call Audio Private?

The call audio is processed transiently, in real time, purely to generate the subtitles you see — it is never stored. Processing happens through trusted third-party AI processors operating under data-processing agreements that prohibit retaining the audio. We won't claim everything happens locally on your Mac, because it doesn't; what we can say plainly is that nothing is kept after the call ends.

For calls where you need to understand medical information, StreamVox's Medical mode is built for comprehension only — it is not a diagnostic tool and should never be treated as one.

How Much Does It Cost?

StreamVox is a free download from the App Store, and you subscribe from inside the app if you need more than the free allowance:

One subscription covers both the Windows and Mac apps, though the app only runs on one device at a time — so if you're mid-call on your Mac, that's the device using your plan.

As of July 2026, this is the same pricing structure across both platforms, so switching between your Mac and a Windows PC doesn't cost extra.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does StreamVox connect to my iPhone directly?

No. StreamVox never connects to your iPhone and never taps the phone line. Apple's Continuity feature routes the call audio to your Mac when you answer it there, and StreamVox translates the audio it hears on your Mac — the same way it would for any other call audio playing on the machine.

What do I need to answer iPhone calls on a Mac?

Your iPhone and Mac must be signed in to the same Apple ID and connected to the same Wi-Fi network. For the translation overlay, your Mac needs macOS 14.2 Sonoma or newer, on either Apple Silicon or Intel.

Can I translate Android calls on a Mac the same way?

No. Apple's Continuity calling feature only works with an iPhone. If you carry an Android phone, use a Windows PC with Microsoft Phone Link instead — StreamVox on Windows translates calls from both iPhone and Android through that route.

Is the call audio recorded or stored anywhere?

No. StreamVox processes the call audio in real time to generate subtitles and does not store it. The audio is handled by trusted third-party AI processors under data-processing agreements that do not retain it.

How much does StreamVox cost on Mac?

The Free plan gives you about 15 minutes of translation per day. Pro is $8.99/month for 40 hours, Pro+ is $14.99/month for 70 hours, and Unlimited is $24.99/month with no cap. One subscription covers both the Windows and Mac apps, running on one device at a time.

Get Started

1. Turn on "Calls on Other Devices" in your iPhone's Phone settings.
2. Allow calls from your iPhone in your Mac's FaceTime settings.
3. Download StreamVox free from the App Store.
4. Pick your language pair and answer your next call on your Mac.

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The next call from family abroad, a landlord, or a client doesn't have to be a guessing game — just answer it where StreamVox is already listening.

AlekGir