How to Turn On Automatic Captions

Captions make video and audio content accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing, but they are also handy in noisy environments or when you cannot play sound. Modern devices offer automatic captioning features that convert spoken words into readable captions in real time. In this article we explain how to turn on automatic captions on various devices and platforms.

Why automatic captions are useful

Automatic captions offer benefits for a broad audience. For deaf and hard-of-hearing people, they are essential for following spoken content. But people without hearing problems use captions too, for example:

• In public spaces where you cannot play sound
• When learning a new language
• When the speaker has an unfamiliar accent
• When the audio quality is poor
• To focus and remember information better

Modern devices use speech recognition to generate captions automatically, even for content that has no built-in captions. This feature keeps getting more accurate thanks to improved AI technology.

Live captions on iPhone and iPad

Apple introduced the Live Captions feature, which gives you automatic captions for all audio on your device.

Turning on Live Captions

• Open the Settings app
• Go to Accessibility
• Tap Live Captions under the Hearing heading
• Turn on the Live Captions switch

Once it is turned on, a floating window with captions appears whenever audio plays. You can move this window to any position on the screen.

Captions in FaceTime

Live Captions also work during FaceTime calls. Each person gets a label so you can see who is saying what. To turn this on:

• Start a FaceTime call
• Tap the screen to show the controls
• Tap the info icon
• Turn on Live Captions

Captions for videos

For videos with built-in captions, you can turn them on by default:

• Go to Settings, then Accessibility
• Tap Subtitles & Captioning
• Turn on Closed Captions + SDH
• Tap Style to customize the appearance

Live captions on Android

Android offers Live Caption, a feature that automatically generates captions for media on your device.

Turning on Live Caption

• Open the Settings app
• Go to Accessibility
• Tap Live Caption or Captions
• Turn on Live Caption

Now, when you play audio, a caption window appears on your screen automatically. You can move this window to a convenient position.

Live Caption settings

You can customize Live Caption further:

• Hide profanity: Replaces swear words with asterisks
• Sound and music labels: Shows descriptions of non-speech sounds
• Caption size: Adjust the text size

Captions for phone calls

On supported Android devices you can also get captions for phone calls:

• Go to Settings, then Accessibility
• Tap Live Caption
• Turn on Caption calls

Live captions on Windows

Windows 11 includes a built-in automatic captioning feature called Live captions.

Activating Live captions

• Go to Settings through the Start menu
• Click Accessibility
• Click Captions
• Turn on Live captions

The first time, you need to download a language pack. Choose Dutch if you want Dutch captions.

Changing the caption position

You can choose where the captions appear:

• At the top of the screen
• At the bottom of the screen
• In a floating window

Customizing the style

Adjust the appearance of captions for better readability:

• Click Caption style in the caption settings
• Choose a preset or create a custom style
• Adjust the font size, color, background and transparency

Live captions on Mac

macOS offers Live Captions for automatic captioning of audio on your Mac.

Turning on Live Captions

• Click the Apple menu
• Select System Settings
• Click Accessibility
• Click Live Captions
• Turn on Live Captions

Live Captions for FaceTime

During FaceTime calls you can see live captions of what others are saying:

• During a FaceTime call, click the Live Captions icon
• The captions appear in a separate window

Captions on streaming services

Most streaming services offer built-in caption options.

Netflix

• Start a video
• Click the subtitles icon (speech bubble)
• Select Dutch or another language
• Choose CC for closed captions with sound descriptions

You can change the style through your Netflix account settings on the website.

YouTube

• Click the gear icon during playback
• Select Subtitles/CC
• Choose a language or Auto-translate for automatic translation

YouTube automatically generates captions for videos without built-in captions.

Disney Plus

• Start a video
• Click the menu icon in the top right
• Select Audio & Subtitles
• Choose the subtitle language you want

Captions on social media

Social media platforms also offer caption options:

Instagram and Facebook

• Go to your profile settings
• Look for Accessibility or Video
• Turn on automatic captions

TikTok

• Tap the three dots on a video
• Tap Captions
• Choose whether you want to see captions

Tips for better captions

Here are some tips to get the most out of automatic captions:

• Speak clearly: Automatic captions work better with clear speech
• Reduce background noise: Less noise means more accurate transcription
• Choose the right language: Make sure the caption language matches the spoken language
• Adjust the style: Larger text and more contrast improve readability
• Use headphones: With live captions this can improve accuracy

Limitations of automatic captions

Although automatic captions keep getting better, there are still limitations:

• Accents and dialects may be transcribed less accurately
• Technical terms and proper names are sometimes spelled wrong
• Several people speaking at once can be confusing
• Poor audio quality reduces accuracy
• Not all languages are supported equally well

Conclusion

Automatic captions make audio and video content accessible to everyone. From Live Captions on your smartphone to caption options on streaming services, there are countless ways to turn on captions. Take the time to adjust the settings to your preferences and enjoy accessible media on all your devices. The technology keeps getting more accurate and the possibilities keep expanding.

Frequently asked questions

Do automatic captions work without an internet connection?

On most devices, automatic captions work offline once you have downloaded the required language pack. The speech recognition happens locally on your device. Check in the settings whether you have downloaded the language pack for offline use.

How accurate are automatic captions?

Accuracy varies depending on audio quality, spoken language and accent. With clear speech and no background noise, accuracy is typically 85-95%. Accents, dialects and poor audio can lower the accuracy.

Can I change the appearance of captions?

Yes, on most platforms you can customize the caption style. You can usually change the font size, color, background color, font and transparency. Go to the accessibility settings or caption settings of your device or app.

Which languages are supported for automatic captions?

This varies by platform. English is supported best, but Dutch, German, French, Spanish and many other languages are available too. Apple and Google regularly expand the number of supported languages. Check the settings to see which languages are available on your device.