Live captions are useful for video calls because they allow you to see what is being said as well as hear it. You can enable live captions in Google Meet, turn them off if necessary, and change the language.
Google Meet on the Web Live Captions
- On the Google Meet website, there are a few simple ways to enable live captions. Begin or join your meeting as usual.
- Click the Captions button in the toolbar at the bottom to use your default language. The button turns blue, and the subtitles appear.
- To enable captions while also selecting a language, click the three dots at the bottom of the screen and select “Captions.”
- Select a language for the captions and then click “Apply.”
- Captions can also be enabled in the Settings menu. Click the three dots, then select “Settings,” then “Captions.” Enable the Captions toggle at the top.
- Captions will appear at the bottom of the screen as participants speak.
Change the Language on the Web
Subtitles in English are available in all locations. In North and Latin America, you can choose between German, Portuguese, and Spanish. You can choose English, French, German, Portuguese, or Spanish in the Asia Pacific or Europe.
You can change the language of the captions in a few simple ways.
- Method one: When you first enable live captions, you’ll see a brief message informing you of the situation. If necessary, you can change the language immediately by clicking the language in blue font within that message.
- Method two: Select the Caption Settings icon, which displays the currently selected language. To close the settings, select the language from the drop-down menu and click the X.
- Method three: Click the three dots at the bottom, select “Captions,” select a language from the drop-down menu, and then click “Apply.”
- Method four: Click the three dots, then choose “Settings,” then “Captions,” and then select a language from the drop-down menu. To close the Settings, click the X in the upper right corner.
Until you change it, the language you select remains the default.
Captions on the web should be turned off.
You can disable captions in one of three ways during your video call.
- Method one: In the toolbar at the bottom, click the Captions button. This removes the button’s blue highlight and disables the subtitles.
- Method two: Click the three dots, then select “Captions,” then “Off,” and finally “Apply.”
- Method three: Click the three dots, then select “Settings,” then “Captions,” and then deactivate the toggle at the top.
Google Meet Mobile App Live Captions
- It’s just as simple to enable live captions if you’re joining a Google Meet from your Android, iPhone, or iPad.
- Open the Meet app and join or start your meeting as usual. Select “Show Captions” from the three dots on the bottom right.
- Captions will appear at the bottom of the screen as participants speak.
Change the Language in the Mobile App
Captions are available in English in all locales, similar to Google Meet’s website. You can select English, French, German, Portuguese, or Spanish for Asia Pacific or Europe.
When you first enable live captions, you’ll see a brief message indicating that captions in the language you selected have been enabled. Tap the language in blue within the message to change the language immediately.
- Select “Language” from the Captions menu, then the dialect, and then tap the arrow to return. Then, on the top left, tap the X to close the Settings.
- Tap the three dots and select “Settings” to change the language for captions later. Choose “Language” and then the dialect. Then, tap the arrow to return to the previous screen and the X to close the Settings.
Until you change it, the language you select remains the default.
Captions can be turned off in the mobile app.
It only takes two taps to turn off captions during a video call. Select “Hide Captions” from the three dots on the bottom right.