How to Turn On Live Captions on Your iPhone or Android Phone
Live captions turn spoken words into text on your screen as people talk. Both iPhones and Android phones have this feature built in, and it can help with phone calls, videos and even conversations in the same room.
It’s free, it takes about a minute to turn on, and you can switch it off again just as easily.
Which Phones and Versions These Steps Cover
As of October 2026, the iPhone steps apply to iOS 27, which Apple released in September 2026. The Android steps follow Google’s Live Caption help page and apply to Pixel phones on Android 17 and many other recent Android phones.
On iPhone, Apple lists Live Captions for English (including the U.S.), Spanish (including the U.S.), French, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin and Cantonese, with some languages limited to certain regions. Apple notes that features may not be available in every region or language, so check its feature availability page if you don’t see the option.
How to Turn On Live Captions on an iPhone
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Accessibility.
- Tap Live Captions.
- Turn on Live Captions.
Don’t see it? Swipe down on the main Settings screen and type “Live Captions” into the search bar.
Apple says Live Captions can caption phone calls, FaceTime calls and web content you watch. It can also use your iPhone’s microphone to caption people speaking around you.
Apple describes the captions as generated on your device. For full details, see Apple’s Live Captions guide.
How to Turn On Live Caption on an Android Phone
Google calls this feature “Live Caption.” Menus can look different depending on who made your phone. If you can’t find it, Google suggests checking with your phone’s maker.
The Quick Way: Use the Volume Button
- Press a volume button on the side of your phone.
- Under the volume controls, tap More.
- Tap Live Caption.
- Tap Done.
The Settings Way
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Accessibility.
- Tap Live Caption and turn it on.
If those menus don’t match your phone, type “Live Caption” into the search bar at the top of Settings.
The first time you use it, connect to Wi-Fi so your phone can download the language it needs. Google says captions work on calls on Pixel and selected Android phones, but the feature isn’t meant for calls with more than one other person.
A Few Things to Know
- Google says Live Caption works best with clear speech and little background noise, and it doesn’t caption music. Double-check important details, like a phone number or appointment time.
- Captions may not work in every app, according to Google.
- On Android, Google says captions are processed on the phone, never stored and never sent to Google.
- Live Caption uses more battery on Android, and it turns off on its own in battery saver mode.
Captions are a helpful extra, not a replacement for a hearing check. If you’re missing more words than you used to, it’s worth talking with your doctor.
More on Seniors Tips
- Hearing Loss After 50: Signs, Testing, Hearing Aids and What Medicare Covers
- How to Make the Text Bigger on Your iPhone
- How to Make Your Android Phone Easier to See and Hear
