Live Captions can transcribe spoken audio into text on a supported iPhone. They can help when watching a video without sound, following a FaceTime conversation, or listening in a place where speech is difficult to understand. The captions are generated automatically, so they are a practical aid rather than a perfect transcript.
Apple describes Live Captions as a beta feature, and availability depends on the iPhone model, language, and region. If Live Captions does not appear in Accessibility settings, confirm that iOS is current and check Apple's feature-availability information for your location.
Safety limit: Live Captions may be inaccurate. Confirm medication names, appointment times, addresses, payment details, and emergency information directly with the speaker.
Turn on Live Captions
Use this setup path on a supported iPhone:
- Open Settings.
- Tap Accessibility.
- Tap Live Captions.
- Turn on Live Captions.
A floating caption window should appear. Play a short video with clear speech to check that text arrives. Begin with something ordinary and easy to stop, not an urgent call.
If you regularly switch captions on and off, add Live Captions to the Accessibility Shortcut where available. Triple-clicking the side button can then be quicker than returning to Settings. Review the shortcut list first so a triple-click does not unexpectedly launch several features.
Learn the floating controls
The caption window can be moved to a less distracting part of the screen. Tap it to reveal controls. Depending on the current iOS version, these controls let you pause transcription, minimize or expand the window, and capture speech around you through the microphone.
Keep the window away from End Call, playback, and message controls. During a practice call, check that you can move the window, pause it, and close or disable captions without help.
Run the same check once with the iPhone upright and once sideways if videos are often watched in both orientations. The window may occupy a different part of the picture after the phone rotates. Return it to a place that leaves the speaker and important controls visible.
Caption iPhone audio or nearby speech
Live Captions can transcribe compatible audio that the iPhone is playing. For nearby conversation, open the caption controls and use the microphone option. Place the iPhone where speech is clear, but do not hand an unlocked device to an unfamiliar person.
For FaceTime and some supported calls, captions can appear while the other person speaks. Tell people when transcription is active if the conversation is private. Local laws and expectations about recording or transcribing conversations differ, even though a live caption is not necessarily saved as an audio recording.
Make the text easier to read
In Settings > Accessibility > Live Captions, open Appearance if it is available. Adjust text size and colors until the words are readable in both bright and dim surroundings. Make one change, return to a real video, and check the result before changing another.
Do not make the window so large that it hides the visual information needed to understand the call. If reading remains difficult, iPhone display and text-size settings can be adjusted separately.
Write down the exact path as it appears on this iPhone. A family helper should then step back while the owner opens Settings, reaches Live Captions, and turns it off. That reverse trip matters: captions may be useful for one conversation but distracting during music, navigation audio, or a video that already has accurate subtitles.
If captions do not work well
| What happens | Practical next step |
|---|---|
| The setting is missing | Update iOS and verify model, language, and regional availability |
| Captions lag or stop | Pause other audio, close an unneeded app, and retry with a short clear clip |
| Names or numbers are wrong | Ask the speaker to repeat and verify the detail in writing |
| The window blocks controls | Drag it, minimize it, or turn the feature off for that task |
| A specific app is not captioned | Try the app's own subtitles or captions |
Know what Live Captions cannot promise
Background sound, fast speech, uncommon names, and several people speaking together can reduce accuracy. An app's professionally prepared subtitles may be more reliable for a film or program. For a formal meeting, ask whether an approved accessibility or human-captioning service is available.
Use captions as one layer of access, not as proof of exactly what was said. A successful setup leaves the owner able to turn the feature on, position it, and stop it without changing unrelated phone settings.