Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers about how Sermon Translate works, what it costs, and what it can and cannot do.
How do churches translate sermons live with this app?
The speaker opens Sermon Translate on a phone, tablet or laptop, selects the spoken language and the translation language, and starts listening. Transcripts and translations appear on that device, and the whole room can read them as captions on a projector or livestream. No headsets, no interpreter booth, no extra hardware.
Which languages are supported?
Sermon Translate supports 123 languages. 61 of them can be spoken from the pulpit, including English, Traditional Chinese, Cantonese, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Vietnamese and 53 more, and all 123 can be read as captions. Every listener can pick their own reading language. The full list is on the languages page.
How is this different from Google Translate or generic AI translation apps?
Google Translate is a powerful general-purpose translator. Sermon Translate is designed around the workflow of a Christian service: church vocabulary, hymn titles, proper names, Bible book names, and verse-reference popups that appear when the speaker clearly references a passage.
Do we need to install anything?
No. It runs in a modern browser on iPhone, Android and desktop. The speaker opens it on one device, and the congregation reads the captions on the projector or livestream. Anyone who wants captions on their own phone opens Sermon Translate there and signs in; each listener needs their own account or trial after the free period.
Can it replace a human interpreter?
Sermon Translate works as a sermon interpreter app for live services and handles common preaching vocabulary well. A church can use it as the main translation for weekly services, or alongside a human interpreter for rare languages or high-stakes events. It is a tool, not a person.
How does the Bible verse detection work?
An AI listener scans the sermon transcript in real time. When the speaker clearly names a chapter-and-verse reference like 'John 3:16,' or quotes a passage that matches a known verse, the app surfaces the full text in the listener's chosen language and Bible version. It does not fabricate references from unrelated speech.
Does it work for paraphrased or partial references?
Clear quotes that match known Bible text can surface the matching verse. Obscure paraphrases, partial allusions or unrelated speech will not trigger a popup, because the system is intentionally conservative to avoid showing random verses.
How accurate is the translation?
Accuracy depends on audio quality, the speaker's clarity, and how specialized the vocabulary is. Sermon Translate is tuned for common church vocabulary and Bible references. It performs best in normal preaching settings and may need help from the custom glossary for unusual names or terms.
Can I use it for free?
Yes, every account gets 1 free hour of live translation every month, with no credit card, and it resets on the 1st. For more, Basic starts at $19.99/month per church.
Does it work offline?
No. The translation engines, speech recognition and Bible text require an internet connection. Some Bible chapters may be cached locally after first load.
Can I change languages during a service?
Yes. Stop the current session, change the source or target language, and start again. Conversation mode lets either speaker change their side's language when not recording.
Is my data private?
Transcripts are tied to your account and are not shared with other users or churches unless you explicitly export or share them. See the Privacy Policy for details.
What devices are supported?
Any modern browser on iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets, Windows, Mac and Linux. The speaker device needs a microphone; listeners only need a screen.
Does it translate song lyrics or hymns?
Spoken announcements and sermon content translate well. Sung lyrics are harder for speech-to-text engines and may not caption accurately unless the words are spoken clearly.
Can multiple people share one account?
Each subscription has a device allowance. Listeners who want their own saved transcripts and notes need their own account after the trial.
What Bible versions are available?
Every language with a Bible uses a public domain or openly licensed edition: BSB, WEB or KJV in English, 和合本 (CUV) in Chinese, 개역한글 (KRV) in Korean, 口語訳 in Japanese, the 1934 Vietnamese Bible, the Persian Old Version, Reina-Valera 1909 in Spanish, the Bíblia Livre in Portuguese, Louis Segond 1910 in French, Luther 1912 or Elberfelder 1871 in German and Ang Dating Biblia 1905 in Filipino. Each edition and its copyright notice is listed on the Bible translations page.