Imagine being in a noisy coffee shop, on a crowded commute, or in a quiet space where you’re unable to take a phone call out loud. Or maybe you’d rather read what people say than listen to them?
Your Android device has a robust built-in accessibility feature called Live Caption that will automatically transcribe your incoming audio to text on the fly – including a phone call you’re on.
Today, we’ll show you how to set up auto-captions for phone calls on your Android phone without the need to download any third-party apps.
What is Android Live Caption?
Live Caption automatically provides captions for any media playing on your device – such as videos, podcasts, voice messages, or phone calls – so you can follow along. Since captions are generated directly on your device, it doesn’t need internet access to generate or store the captions.
How to Enable Live Caption for Calls on Android
Follow the three steps below to enable live captioning for your calls:
Step 1: Open Device Settings
Open the settings application on your Android phone and scroll to find Accessibility. Tap Accessibility for your accessibility options.
Step 2: Access Live Caption
Scroll under Accessibility until you find Live Captions, tap it, and enable Live Caption.
Step 3: Enable “Caption Calls”
In the Live Caption settings menu, look for the option labelled Caption calls.
Select your preferred behaviour:
Always: Automatically caption every incoming and outgoing call.
Ask every time: Prompt you with an on-screen option whenever a call begins.
How to Use Live Caption During an Active Call
When you enable the feature, here’s how it works when you’re on a call:
1. Start or receive a phone call normally.
2. If you have it set to prompt, tap the Live Caption notification that appears on screen.
3. The captions will appear in a floating caption box, and you’ll see what’s being said in real time as the person on the other end is speaking.
4. You can move or resize the caption box by dragging it around your screen, or double-tap it to expand it.
Useful Live Caption Customization Tips
Hide Profanity: Turn on Hide profanity in Live Caption if you’d rather see asterisks instead of sensitive language.
Sound Labels: Turn on sound labels so you’ll see “laughter,” “applause,” or other markers when playing back audio.
Volume Button Shortcut: You can press any of the volume buttons and tap the caption icon that appears under the volume slider controls to instantly turn Live Caption on or off.
Watch the Full Video How-To. Want a quick visual?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Does the other person know that Live Caption is enabled?
Will the other person know if I have Live Caption on when I make a call? During your call, an automated voice prompt or tone may be heard by the other caller indicating Live Caption has been enabled.
2. Can I use Live Caption for my phone call offline?
Yes! Live Caption processes your audio locally on your device so that you can use it even without an Internet connection or cellular data.
3. Is my phone call caption recorded?
No. All captions are displayed in real time, processed locally on your device, and are not stored, recorded, or sent elsewhere.
4. What devices support Live Caption for phone calls?
Live Caption is available on the majority of Google Pixel devices and supported newer Android devices.
5. Can I respond to the person on the other end of the call with text-to-speech?
On supported devices (such as newer Pixel phones), Live Caption also offers a feature that allows you to type in your response, which your phone then reads aloud via text-to-speech.
6. Can I change the size of the captions or move the caption box?
Yes! You can drag the captions anywhere on your device’s screen, tap the box to minimise or maximise the font size, and modify caption size and style through Accessibility > Caption preferences.
