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Live Caption (Android): What It Does and What You Need

Checked November 10, 2026. Next full check February 2027.

Email to a family member

Captions audio that plays on your Android phone.

At a glance

MakerGoogle
GroupLive captions
Works onAndroid. Built into the phone.
CostBuilt in. Built into supported Android phones. No separate app to buy.
Good forAndroid users who want captions on videos and calls.

What it does

  • Captions speech in videos, podcasts, phone calls, video calls and audio messages.
  • Works without data after you download a language pack once.
  • Processes captions on your phone. Google says captions are never stored or sent to Google.

What you need

  • A supported Pixel or other Android phone.
  • Wi-Fi the first time, to download the language pack.

Good to know

  • Google says it is not meant for calls with more than one other person.
  • Captions may not work for some media and calling apps.
  • Google says it does not work on music, uses more battery, and turns off in battery saver mode.
  • To turn it on: press a volume button, tap More, then Live Caption.

This guide is general information. It does not diagnose hearing loss and it does not replace a hearing evaluation. An app cannot tell you why you hear less. An audiologist can.

More in live captions

  • Google Live Transcribe

    Google LLC

    Turns speech around you into text on an Android phone.

    No costAndroid

  • Live Transcribe (Mighty Fine Apps)

    Mighty Fine Apps LLC

    An iPhone app that writes speech as text, with several caption modes.

    No cost to download, paid optionsiPhone, iPad

  • NALscribe

    National Acoustic Laboratories

    A live captioning app from a hearing research laboratory.

    No costiPhone, iPad

  • Ava

    Transcense, Inc.

    Captions group talk and shows who is speaking.

    No-cost tier and paid plansiPhone, iPad, Android

Where Live Caption (Android) fits

Compare Live Caption (Android) with another app

Read more on our site

Questions to bring to your visit

Write these on your phone or print this page. Bring them to your hearing evaluation.

  • Which captions can I read at a glance in a group?
  • Can my hearing aids stream sound while I read captions?
  • Which places near me have a loop system or Auracast?

Sources

We read these pages on November 10, 2026. Prices and phone requirements change, so check the listing before you install.

Need help with this app?

Using captions all day? Your hearing may need a closer look. Call 650-342-9449.

California Hearing Center has offices in San Mateo and San Carlos. One phone number reaches both: 650-342-9449.

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