Live captions are real-time subtitles generated during your virtual meeting or event. This allows anyone with a different proficiency level of the language, trouble with their hearing, or even just someone in a loud area to have another way to follow along while the meeting is happening. Microsoft Teams allows participants to turn on live captions for any video meeting. Although not perfect, Microsoft Teams live captioning is surprisingly accurate compared to other web/video conferencing platforms.
Note: The live captioning feature is not available on the web version of Microsoft Teams. Make sure you are using the Microsoft Teams desktop or mobile app.
Turn on Live Captions
To turn on live captioning during a meeting, select the three dots (More options) in the meeting toolbar and choose Turn on live captions.
*If this option does not appear, go to your Microsoft Teams settings and ensure that "Turn on new meeting experience" is checked (in the desktop app, select your profile picture or initials to access settings; in the mobile app, settings can be found under the top left menu).
Prefer to watch a video how-to instead? Check out Enabling Live Captions in a Teams Meeting (31 seconds).
Keep in Mind
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In Microsoft Teams, the use of live captions is driven by each individual participant. In other words, meeting hosts cannot turn on live captions for all participants. This feature is controlled by the end user.
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If you plan to record your Microsoft Teams meeting or event, note that live captions are not saved in the meeting recording.
Learn More
Read "Use live captions in a Teams meeting" to learn more about this feature and get presenter tips for a better captioning experience.