Apple is launching a new suite of accessibility features in iOS 16 to be unveiled soonAnd (finally) adding a Live Caption feature for all audio content across devices.
The new option lets users easily turn on automatic captioning in their Settings menu, which will apply to any audio played within the device, from phone calls to FaceTime sessions, to videos. Captions appear at the top of the screen while audio is playing in real time, and users can even customize the font size of the captions to better accommodate their needs.
SEE ALSO: How to Use Live Text on Video in iOS 16
It’s a great addition to the many accessibility features on Apple devices, including customizable adjustments. sight, mobilityand also cognitive needed. But the company lags behind other brands and devices that already offer captioning accessible directly in the device, including Captions and real-time text-to-speech capabilities for Google Pixel phones announced earlier this year.
in his iOS 16 Accessibility PreviewApple describes the new Live Captions the hearing As a tool for the deaf and hard of hearing community to navigate their calls, video conferencing and social media apps with just the device, to protect the privacy and security of speakers’ conversations Live generation of designed text.
The best thing for both deaf users and active iPhone users trying to stay connected to multiple social connections is that captions to multiple speakers and sounds. The devices will automatically detect and attribute speech individually to each person on the call, using your friends’ previously saved contact information.
Live Captions are not limited to iPhone users but can be turned on in the Settings menu of iPad and Mac devices. For Mac users, the update also includes a live text-to-speech feature for calls, similar to the Google Pixel update, where users can type a response and speak aloud to others on the call.
how live captions work
During an audio or video call, or while watching a video on your device, Live Captions will automatically appear in a separate pop up window at the top of your screen, similar to a push notification. For a call, FaceTime session, or conference meeting, speaker names are determined by the contact information you already have saved, including contact images and first names.
For video, live captions do not include the same audio descriptions as normal closed captioning, only transcribing the voices of the live speaker instead of all the sounds playing on the screen.
If you’re an iPhone user interested in the new Live Captions, here’s how to make sure the feature is turned on and customized to your liking:
Go to “Settings” and select the “Accessibility” menu
Go to your phone’s settings first, then select “Accessibility,” a third of the menu options. credit: apple / mashable
Find All Apple Accessibility settings in your iPhone’s Settings menu.
Scroll down to the section labeled “Hearings” and select “Live Captions”
Once in your Accessibility settings, scroll down about halfway to find the Live Caption option. credit: apple / mashable
You’ll also probably see a selection for Closed Captioning Settings (aside from Live Caption) which controls how the captioning services already generated on your device.
Enable captions system-wide or in-app
The current Live Captions beta shows options to turn on captions for your entire device or for calling specific apps. credit: apple / mashable
To turn on Live Caption across your device, toggle the top button to the “On” position. For calling apps like FaceTime, you can manually choose which app allows Live Caption. Note that turning these on will alert the people you’re talking to that their audio is being transcribed into text.
Adjust to your liking using “Appearance”
You can adjust the font size and color of both the Live Caption text and the pop-up window. credit: apple / mashable
You can also adjust the way Live Captions appear on your device using the Appearance setting. In this menu, you’ll find customization tools for the font size, font color, and background color of the caption text window.
Adjust the caption to your desired font size. credit: apple / mashable
credit: apple / mashable
The new feature is only available in English for now, and is available on iPhone 11 models and up, iPad with the A12 Bionic and later, and Macs with Apple Silicon.
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