Frequently asked questions

Boothless is a Windows desktop application that turns one laptop into a complete AI simultaneous interpretation system. It captures a speaker's microphone audio, translates it live using Google's Gemini Live API, and broadcasts the translated audio, transcript, and captions to attendees over the venue's own WiFi.

Boothless translates into more than 70 target languages, covering major European, Nordic, Baltic, Middle Eastern, Asian, and African languages. The spoken source language is auto-detected — you only choose what to translate into.

Yes. Every session produces live translated audio alongside a continuous, dual-language transcript — the original speech and its translation shown side by side as the session runs.

Yes. Attendees scan a QR code with their phone camera, and a plain web page opens in their browser with a Listen button. That's the whole flow.

No. There is nothing to install and no account to create, on either Android or iPhone. The listening page runs entirely in the phone's own browser.

Yes. Boothless can send its translated audio out of your computer's normal audio output into a classic simultaneous-interpretation delegate-unit system or a tour-guide transmitter system — the same hardware venues and rental companies already own. It's a cabling choice, not a software limitation, and it can run at the same time as the phone broadcast.

Yes, Boothless works with a built-in laptop microphone. For professional events, we recommend feeding the original audio directly from a mixer or wireless microphone receiver through a USB audio interface — direct audio produces significantly more accurate transcription and translation than capturing room sound.

AI translation quality depends heavily on how clean the source audio is. A direct feed from a mixer or wireless receiver removes room noise, echo, and distance from the microphone, which measurably improves both transcription accuracy and translation quality.

No. Live translation depends on an active internet connection on the operator's machine, since translation runs through Google's Gemini API. The broadcast to attendees' phones runs over local WiFi and doesn't need a separate internet connection beyond that.

Yes. Boothless runs on your own Gemini API key, billed directly by Google based on your usage. Boothless never resells or marks up AI credits — you always know exactly what translation costs.

As many as your local WiFi network can comfortably handle — there's no artificial cap built into Boothless. The operator sees a live count of connected listeners at all times.

Yes. Run multiple Boothless instances on the same network, each producing its own language channel with a dedicated QR code, translation stream, and listeners.

One Boothless instance produces one live translated language channel. If you need three languages running simultaneously, run three Boothless installations, each on its own machine.

Only if you turn on session export yourself. By default, audio goes exactly two places: to Google's Gemini API for translation, and — only if Broadcast is on — to devices on your own local network.

No. Boothless doesn't operate a proprietary cloud for audio processing or relay. There is no Boothless-run backend sitting between you and Google's API.

Checkout is handled securely through Lemon Squeezy. The moment payment completes, a license key is generated automatically and emailed to you — usually within seconds — with instructions for activating it in Boothless. Lemon Squeezy also sends its own separate order receipt, which includes a link to download the installer. No manual activation, no sales call required.

Open Boothless, go to Settings, and paste your key under “Have a license key?”, then press Activate. You'll see this same prompt automatically if your 2-hour demo runs out before you've activated a license.

The free demo and the paid version are the exact same installer — there's no separate “demo edition.” Use the Download page for the free 2-hour trial with no purchase or account required, or grab the installer link from your Lemon Squeezy order receipt after buying a license. Either way, you activate the same install with a license key whenever you're ready.

Yes, you can reinstall and reactivate Boothless with your license key on the same licensed machine at any time.

Lifetime licenses receive free updates until Version 2, and a discounted upgrade price when Version 2 and beyond are released. Time-limited passes include every feature for the duration of the pass.