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    Live Captions Setup

    Real-time subtitles for any video, call, or conversation.

    What live captions do

    Your phone listens and types out what it hears, in real time, on the screen. Works for YouTube, FaceTime calls, phone calls, podcasts — and you can hold up the phone during in-person conversations to read along.

    iPhone — Live Captions

    1. Open Settings.
    2. Tap Accessibility.
    3. Tap Live Captions (under "Hearing").
    4. Turn on Live Captions.
    5. You can also turn on Live Captions in FaceTime — captions show what each person says with their name.

    A floating box appears on screen with text of whatever is being said. Tap the box to make it bigger, smaller, or to pause it.

    Quick toggle: Settings → Accessibility → Accessibility Shortcut → choose Live Captions. Then triple-click the side button to turn it on/off anytime.

    Bonus: turn on captions everywhere

    • YouTube: Tap the "CC" button on any video.
    • Netflix / Disney+ / Max / Hulu: Look for the speech-bubble icon during playback. Set to "English" or your preferred language.
    • Zoom: Click "Show Captions" at the bottom of the meeting window.
    • Your TV: Most remotes have a "CC" or "Subtitles" button — press it once.

    Captions aren't perfect

    Live captions guess the words from sound, so they sometimes get names or unusual words wrong — especially in noisy places. They're best for general meaning, not legal or medical detail.