Comparison
Microsoft Translator for Church Worship: What Changed in 2026
Converse used to let a room of people join a shared translated conversation from their own phones. Microsoft retired it on 30 June 2026 — here's where that leaves churches who used it.
Microsoft's Translator app previously offered a genuinely useful group mode called Converse, letting up to 100 people join a shared session from their own phones and see translations in their own language. Microsoft retired Converse on 30 June 2026. Today the app is turn-based, one exchange at a time, with no group broadcast option left.
At a glance
Current as of August 2026, following Converse's retirement on 30 June 2026
| Breeze Translate | Microsoft Translator (current) | |
|---|---|---|
| Group / broadcast mode | Yes — built for one speaker, many listeners | Retired (was Converse, up to 30 June 2026) |
| How a guest joins today | Scan a QR code or open a link | No group join option remains — turn-based only |
| Cost | From $8/week | Free (consumer) |
| Output languages | Nearly 200 | 129 |
| Host control panel | Yes | No, following Converse's retirement |
What Converse used to offer
For churches that discovered it, Microsoft Translator's Converse feature was a genuinely clever fit for a service: a host created a session with a five-letter code or QR code, and up to 100 people could join from their own phones, each speaking and reading in their own language, with no accounts needed. It's understandable that some churches adopted it as a free, no-setup way to offer basic translation.
As of 30 June 2026, Microsoft retired Converse. The Translator app remains a capable tool for text, voice, and camera translation across 129 languages, but the specific group session feature that made it useful for a room of people is gone.
If your church was relying on Converse
There's no direct replacement within Microsoft's consumer tools — Microsoft now points group translation needs toward Microsoft Teams with a Teams Premium licence, which is built for online meetings, not for a live in-person service with a sound desk feed.
A church that built its translation approach around Converse now needs a purpose-built tool — one with a host session, a shareable QR code or link, and a control panel connected to the room's actual audio, rather than a meeting-platform feature.
It's also a chance for members to give something back in their own language, not just receive.
Belonging isn't just receiving →Breeze is the better fit if…
- You need a shared session a room of guests can join from their own phones today, not a feature that's since changed
- You want the audio sourced directly from your existing sound desk
- You want the widest possible selection of output languages
- You want members to also pray, testify, or lead in their own language, not just receive the service
Microsoft Translator is the better fit if…
- You need general-purpose text, voice, or camera translation outside of a group church setting
- A one-to-one, turn-based conversation is genuinely what you need
- You're already inside the Microsoft 365/Teams ecosystem for a different kind of meeting
Frequently asked questions
A group session that's still here
Try Breeze free this Sunday — a shared QR code, your whole congregation, every language included.