Switching Languages Mid-Call

Your AI receptionist can switch languages during a call if language detection is enabled and the caller shifts to a different language. This article explains how mid-call language switching works and what to expect.

How mid-call switching works

With language detection enabled, the AI monitors the caller's language throughout the call — not just at the start. If a caller begins speaking in their preferred language at any point (for example, after the initial greeting), the AI can adapt and respond in that language.

This means:

  • A caller who responds to the greeting in English, then switches to Cantonese mid-call, may find the AI follows the switch.
  • A bilingual caller who moves between two languages may have a mixed-language conversation.

What triggers a language switch

A language switch is triggered when the AI detects that the caller has spoken clearly in a different configured language. Ambiguous or very short utterances may not trigger a switch.

Once switched, the AI stays in that language

When the AI switches to a secondary language during a call, it generally stays in that language for the remainder of the conversation unless the caller clearly shifts back.

Per-language greetings and bookings

Each configured language in your Voice & Languages settings can have its own:

  • Voice (so the AI sounds natural in each language)
  • Greeting variation

This means a caller who triggers a language switch will hear the AI using the voice and tone appropriate for their language — not just the primary language voice with different words.

Limitations

  • Language switching only works for configured languages. If a caller speaks a language not in your setup, the AI will continue in the primary language.
  • Very short snippets or heavily accented speech may not reliably trigger switching.
  • Continuous code-switching (alternating every sentence) may result in inconsistent AI responses.

💡 Tip: Test multilingual switching yourself. Call your AI, respond to the greeting in one of your secondary languages, and see how it handles the transition. This is the fastest way to catch any issues with your language configuration.

⚠️ Important: Language detection depends on you having additional languages configured and the detection toggle enabled. Neither setting alone is sufficient — both must be in place.