Google Live Transcribe

Summary

AI-generated from vendor-published content · April 26, 2026

Live Transcribe (and its companion feature Live Caption) uses on-device speech recognition to display real-time captions for spoken audio — including videos, podcasts, phone calls, and in-person conversation — directly on an Android screen. It's designed for people who are deaf or hard of hearing and need to follow spoken content without relying on a sign language interpreter or pre-made captions. The software is built into Android and runs entirely on the device with no internet connection required for processing, so there are no privacy concerns about audio leaving the phone. One key limitation: it works only on Android (with some features restricted to Pixel 6 and newer), and the typing-to-speak phone call feature is currently available in English only.

What Setup Looks Like

• Out of the box
  
  1. On an Android device, pull down the notification shade and tap the Live Caption quick-settings tile, or find it under Accessibility settings.
  2. Captions appear automatically over any audio playing on the device — no additional configuration needed for basic use.
• With a guide
  
  1. To enable the type-to-speak phone call feature (Pixel 6+), go to Settings > Accessibility > Live Caption > Captions in calls and follow the on-screen prompts.
  2. Adjust caption size, color, and style under Settings > Accessibility > Caption preferences to suit your vision needs — takes about 5 minutes. See manufacturer support resources for detailed instructions.

Where to Get It

Some links may be affiliate links — WhatCanHelp may earn a small commission from purchases at no extra cost to you. More on affiliates →