Live Captions
Read what people say in real time.
What it does
- Real-time captions for any audio.
- Phone calls + FaceTime calls.
- Videos on YouTube + websites.
- In-person conversations (using mic).
- Free — built into modern phones.
- Game-changer for hearing loss.
iPhone Live Captions
- iOS 16+ required.
- Settings → Accessibility → Live Captions.
- Toggle on.
- Captions appear as floating bar.
- Works on calls, videos, conversations.
- Works in airplane mode (on-device processing).
Android Live Captions
- Pixel + most modern Android phones.
- Settings → Accessibility → Live Caption.
- Or press volume button + tap caption icon.
- Captions appear during any audio.
- Customizable size + position.
- On-device, works offline.
Phone call captions
- Read what caller says as they speak.
- Helpful when hearing aids fail.
- Faster than asking "what?" repeatedly.
- Works on FaceTime + WhatsApp calls.
- Privacy: processed on your phone, not sent to Apple/Google.
- No internet required.
In-person conversations
- Place phone on table during conversations.
- Captions appear as person speaks.
- Helpful in restaurants with background noise.
- Doctor appointments — read what doctor says.
- Family gatherings.
- Multiple speakers may be tricky.
Apps for hearing loss
- Otter.ai — meetings + transcription.
- Live Transcribe (Android) — by Google.
- Innocaption — free for Americans with hearing loss.
- InnoCaption Captioned Telephone (free FCC program).
- CapTel — captioned home phone.
- All free or low-cost options.
Try it tonight on TV
Tonight, watch your favorite TV show. Hold your phone with Live Captions enabled. Read along. Many seniors with mild hearing loss find this transformative — they catch dialogue they were missing without even realizing it. Combined with hearing aids, it's like having superpowers. Free, built into your phone, takes 30 seconds to enable.