translator iOS app only works intermittently

Question

translator iOS app only works intermittently

Jason Smith 10

We are using the MIcrosoft iOS Translator App. Latest version with latest iOS. The Translator app works intermittently. After working for a short while we receive "a cannot create a new conversation message"

Rebooting iPad does not fix issue nor does reinstalling the app

SRILAKSHMI C 8,545 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-09-16T12:26:42.9266667+00:00

Hi Jason Smith,

Did you get any chance to check the above response. Thank you!
SRILAKSHMI C 8,545 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-09-18T10:31:07.3266667+00:00

Hi Jason Smith,

We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.

Thank you!
Mcintyre, Craig 5 Reputation points

2025-09-25T18:12:59.93+00:00

I've just been made aware that we are experiencing this as well across our school district. I just attempted to test with a fresh install on an iPad, both on and off of our district network. We experienced a similar problem using the Android app where the conversation feature was, seemingly, silently discontinued/abandoned. Can anyone at Microsoft confirm that the conversation feature is still active?
JBaker 0 Reputation points

2025-10-08T16:22:01.53+00:00

This program is vital for students new to English to keep up with lectures in K-12 education. Can someone please look into this further. I can't get it to work at all at home on my mobile device also.

Please help.

2 answers

Your answer

SRILAKSHMI C 8,545 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-09-16T12:26:42.9266667+00:00

Hi Jason Smith,

Did you get any chance to check the above response. Thank you!
SRILAKSHMI C 8,545 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-09-18T10:31:07.3266667+00:00

Hi Jason Smith,

We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.

Thank you!
Mcintyre, Craig 5 Reputation points

2025-09-25T18:12:59.93+00:00

I've just been made aware that we are experiencing this as well across our school district. I just attempted to test with a fresh install on an iPad, both on and off of our district network. We experienced a similar problem using the Android app where the conversation feature was, seemingly, silently discontinued/abandoned. Can anyone at Microsoft confirm that the conversation feature is still active?
JBaker 0 Reputation points

2025-10-08T16:22:01.53+00:00

This program is vital for students new to English to keep up with lectures in K-12 education. Can someone please look into this further. I can't get it to work at all at home on my mobile device also.

Please help.

Answer 1

Hello Jason Smith,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A and Thank you for reaching out.

I understand that you’re running into a frustrating issue with the Microsoft Translator app on iOS, where it intermittently shows the error “cannot create a new conversation.” This error usually indicates a problem with connectivity or with the app’s ability to establish a valid session. Since you’ve already tried rebooting the iPad and reinstalling the app without success, here are a few additional steps you can try:

Ensure the iPad has a stable connection. Try switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data to rule out network-related issues.

Confirm that the device’s date and time are set automatically, as incorrect settings can sometimes cause token validation or session failures.

Go to Settings > Translator on the iPad and make sure the app has the required permissions, particularly for microphone and network access.

If the iPad is on a school or managed network, certain ports or services may be blocked. Test the app on a personal network or mobile hotspot to see if the issue persists.

Double-check that you’ve selected a supported language pair, as the app only supports two languages at a time.

If using conversation mode, minimize background noise, which can interfere with speech recognition.

Make sure both iOS and the Translator app are fully updated, since new releases may contain fixes for this issue.

Clearing the app cache, signing out and back in, or reinstalling the app can also resolve temporary glitches.

The error typically points to either a network/session problem or app configuration issue. Start by confirming connectivity, device time settings, and permissions, then test on a different network to rule out restrictions.

I Hope this helps. Do let me know if you have any further queries.

Thank you!

Rebecca Bogardus 0 Reputation points

2025-09-28T18:45:25.17+00:00

I have the same issue and going through all of your fixes does nothing to resolve it. Very rarely, I can open multiple conversation sessions without any issues. More commonly I will get the “cannot create a new conversation” multiple times in a row, even after deleting and redownloading the app and going through all of your suggestions. I may try to start a conversation 11 times, and on the 12th it works. But if that conversation ends and I try to restart, once again I receive the message and may try 30+ times with no success before giving up.

Answer 2

JBaker 0

This program is vital for students new to English to keep up with lectures in K-12 education. Can someone please look into this further. I can't get it to work at all at home on my mobile device also.

Please help.

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translator iOS app only works intermittently

2 answers

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