Live Captions
Phone reads conversations in real time.
iPhone Live Captions
- Settings → Accessibility → Live Captions.
- Captions appear on screen for any audio.
- FaceTime calls captioned.
- Phone calls captioned.
- Movies/videos captioned.
- Real-life conversations via mic.
- FREE built-in.
Android Live Transcribe
- FREE app from Google.
- 70+ languages.
- Captions in real time.
- Save transcripts.
- Vibration alerts for sounds.
- Restaurant + meetings = senior favorite.
Best apps for hearing
- Otter.ai — captions + transcripts. Free tier.
- Ava — designed for deaf. Tags speakers.
- Live Transcribe (Android) — free Google.
- Innocaption — phone calls free, FCC-funded.
- Hamilton CapTel — captioned phone, free.
- All free or freemium.
Senior use cases
- Restaurants — read captions of dining companion.
- Doctor appointments — capture instructions.
- Family gatherings — follow conversations.
- Phone calls — read while listening.
- Religious services — caption sermons.
- TV — many built into apps now.
CapTel phone
- Captioned phone — built-in screen.
- FREE if hearing loss certified.
- Plug into landline.
- Captions appear on phone screen.
- Federal program (Title IV).
- Senior favorite landline replacement.
- Apply at captel.com.
Quality varies
Auto-captions 90-95% accurate now. Sometimes funny errors. Position phone near speaker. Quiet room = better. Combined with hearing aids = excellent communication. Don't struggle with hearing alone — free tools available.