One of the most helpful features in Android is the ability to live-caption audio. Using voice recognition, Google has created a precise and accurate tool that allows for any video or audio you are listening to, to be automatically captioned. This can be a podcast, video, or voice recording.
For users of Android 11 and Android 12, this feature is simply a touch away and is extremely easy to use. Here's how to set it up.
How to Use Live Caption
Captioning was initially created for those suffering from deafness or hearing-related difficulties. However, as of late, the feature has seen a lot of popularity among the everyday consumer. It's extremely useful for those in an area where they don't wish to play audio. On a bus, in the workspace, captioning has become a very widespread tool.
To turn on live captioning, simply press your volume button and the Live Caption icon appears below the volume settings icon. When the feature is on, captions will appear for any media playing, as long as audio can be heard. For Pixel users, captions also appear during voice calls.
This feature does not require any internet connection and all captions are processed locally, meaning they are not stored anywhere other than your device.
Captions are currently only available in English and on devices that run Android 11 or 12. For Samsung devices, please refer to our guide for live captioning on Samsung devices.
If you do not see the Live Caption option on your device, you might need to update your Android System Intelligence (previously known as Device Personalization Services). This will happen through the Play Store.
Customize Your Live Captions
You can move the captions around by dragging the caption box. Double tapping the box expands the captions and to remove them, simply drag the box towards the bottom of your screen. By accessing the Live caption settings under the Sound settings menu, you can censor profanity and show sound labels such as laughter or cries.
If you wish to customize the appearance of the captions, you will have to access the Accessibility settings. This can be reached through your Settings menu. Select Caption preferences > Caption size and style to change the color and font size of your captions.
A More Convenient Future
Captions have become much more useful than anyone expected. With our current technology, smartphones have become able to produce high-quality, accurate captions that you are sure to start to use.