Frequently asked questions
Answers about Echoes.
Product capabilities, installation, saved contacts, privacy, compatibility, pricing, and the limits of AI translation.
Using Echoes
Do both people need an account?−
No. The person starting the call shares one link. The other person opens it in a modern browser, chooses the language they speak, and joins without creating an account.
Is there an Echoes app I can install?+
Yes. Echoes is an optional Progressive Web App, or PWA. Install it from your browser for a home-screen icon and app-like window. You can save someone as a contact after a call, ring that contact again with one tap, and enable call alerts on supported devices. Invitees can still join in a browser without installing anything.
Does Echoes work between iPhone and Android?+
Yes. Echoes is browser-based, so an iPhone, Android phone, tablet, or computer can join the same translated call. Each device needs a modern browser, an internet connection, and microphone permission.
Are calls recorded?+
Echoes does not record calls or store call transcripts on its server. Audio is processed live by OpenAI to create translated speech. A recap is generated only when a participant explicitly requests one.
Can I test it without inviting someone?+
Yes. A short test call with Echo, an AI conversation partner, lets you hear the experience before you send an invitation.
Is Echoes a certified interpreter?+
No. AI translation can make mistakes. Echoes is for everyday conversations, not emergencies or situations that require a qualified medical, legal, financial, or certified interpreter.
Installed app and contacts
How do saved contacts work?−
After a completed person-to-person call, either participant can save the other with an editable name. The contact and recent-call history stay in that browser or installed app profile, where one tap can start another translated call.
Can a saved contact ring me when Echoes is closed?+
On supported devices, yes, if you enable call alerts. Echoes uses Web Push to wake the device. On iPhone and iPad, you must first add Echoes to the Home Screen. If an alert cannot be delivered, the call can appear as missed the next time Echoes opens.
Does the Echoes PWA work offline?+
No. The install gives Echoes an app icon and standalone window, but live calls, translation, presence, and call alerts still require an internet connection.
Calls and compatibility
Is Echoes a regular phone-number call?−
No. Echoes currently creates a browser-based voice or video room and shares it by link or QR code. Calling a mobile number or landline is on the roadmap, not a current feature.
Which languages are supported?+
English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Indonesian, and Vietnamese are fully supported. Turkish and Arabic are available as previews.
Can I use video?+
Yes. Participants can turn on optional video during the translated call, with the current translated caption placed over the video.
Should I use headphones?+
Yes when possible. Headphones reduce echo and stop translated playback from feeding into a microphone.
Hospitality pilots
What is the Echoes hospitality pilot?−
It is a proposed permanent, branded QR that lets hotel or hostel guests ring up to three staff devices and speak through two-way live translation.
Is the business plan generally available?+
Not yet. Echoes is accepting a small number of manually onboarded design partners before enabling self-serve billing.
Can a hotel use it for emergencies?+
No. Echoes is for ordinary guest-service conversations and is not a substitute for emergency services or a qualified interpreter.
Echoes