Conversation Mode: Real-Time Face-to-Face Translation in Up to 4 Languages

You're at a night market in Taipei and the vendor doesn't speak English. You're sitting across from a doctor who's explaining your test results, but your grandmother only speaks Arabic. You're hosting a dinner party and half the table speaks Japanese, the other half Portuguese.

These moments don't wait. You can't pause the conversation, pull out a dictionary, and type something out word by word. You need to talk. And you need the other person to understand you. Right now.

That's why we built Conversation Mode.

What is Conversation Mode?

Conversation Mode turns your laptop into a live interpreter. You pick 2 to 4 languages, hit Start, and just talk naturally. Seagull listens through your laptop's microphone, figures out who's speaking, detects what language they're using, and shows each person the translation on screen in real time.

The screen splits so each speaker sees their own section. Your words appear in the original language at the top, and the translation appears below, instantly. The other person sees the same thing, but flipped. Their language on top, yours translated underneath.

You don't need to press any buttons between turns. You don't need to tell Seagull which language you're about to speak. It figures it out automatically. Just talk like you normally would.

How is this different from Subtitle Mode?

If you already use Seagull, you know Subtitle Mode. It captures audio from any app on your computer, whether that's a Zoom call, a YouTube video, or a podcast, and shows translated subtitles right on your screen. It's built for consuming content in another language.

Conversation Mode is different. It's not about watching or listening to something. It's about talking to someone who's right in front of you.

Here's the quick breakdown:

• Subtitle Mode: Captures system audio from apps. One source language, one target language. Translated subtitles overlay your screen. Great for calls, videos, and streams.
• Conversation Mode: Uses your microphone. Supports 2 to 4 languages at once. Split-screen layout so both speakers can read. Built for face-to-face conversations.

Two tools, two jobs. Use Subtitle Mode when you're watching. Use Conversation Mode when you're talking.

Real situations where this changes everything

Traveling

You're in a small restaurant in rural Japan. The menu is handwritten in Japanese. The owner doesn't speak English. Normally you'd point at pictures or fumble through a translation app one sentence at a time. With Conversation Mode, you open your laptop, pick English and Japanese, and just ask what's good today. The owner sees your question translated to Japanese. They answer. You see it in English. You end up having a real conversation. Maybe they recommend their grandmother's recipe. You never would have known about it otherwise.

Healthcare

A doctor needs to explain a diagnosis to a patient who speaks Mandarin. The hospital interpreter is booked for the next two hours. The doctor opens Seagull, selects English and Chinese, and places the laptop between them. The doctor explains the treatment plan. The patient reads along in Mandarin, asks questions, and the doctor sees those questions in English. No miscommunication. No waiting. The patient actually understands what's happening with their health.

Multilingual families

Your kids speak English. Your parents speak Korean. Every family dinner involves someone playing translator in the middle, and half the jokes get lost. Put Seagull on the table. Pick English and Korean. Now your mom can tell your kids that embarrassing story about you directly. Your kids can respond. Everyone laughs at the right moment.

Business

You're meeting a potential client from Brazil. They speak Portuguese, you speak English. Hiring a professional interpreter for a one-hour meeting costs hundreds of dollars, and you'd need to book them days in advance. With Conversation Mode, you just open your laptop. The meeting flows naturally. You make the deal. The interpreter fee stays in your pocket.

Dating

You met someone amazing, but they speak French and your French is... let's say "enthusiastic but inaccurate." Set up Seagull between you at the coffee shop. Talk freely. Be yourself. Let the words come through clearly while you work on learning their language the old-fashioned way. First dates are nerve-wracking enough without a language barrier.

How to use it

Three steps. That's it.

No setup wizard. No training period. No "please speak slowly and clearly into the microphone." Just talk.

What languages are supported?

Seagull supports over 60 languages in Conversation Mode. Here are some of the most popular ones:

English, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin), Korean, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Arabic, Hindi, Italian, Russian, Turkish, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, Dutch, Polish, Swedish, Czech, and many more.

We're adding new languages regularly. If your language isn't supported yet, let us know on Discord and we'll prioritize it.

Try it free

Conversation Mode is available today in Seagull. Download the app and you get a free one-hour trial, no credit card needed. That's enough time for a full dinner conversation, a doctor's appointment, or a really good first date.

Language shouldn't be the thing that stops you from connecting with someone. Now it doesn't have to be.