What's the best live caption app?
There isn't one winner for every situation. Some captioning tools are part of the phone itself. Some are designed for meetings and groups. Others strip everything back for a quick conversation across a table or counter.
| App | Works on | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Live Captions | Recent iPhones | Calls, videos and occasional nearby speech | Captions sit in a relatively small floating panel |
| Google Live Transcribe | Android | Face-to-face conversations and everyday speech | Android only; offline support depends on device and language |
| Ava | iPhone, Android, web and computer | Meetings, groups and people who want more captioning features | More than you may need for a quick chat; free sessions are time-limited, paid plans exist |
| Subt | Web on Chrome, Edge and Safari; iPhone app coming | Simple one-to-one face-to-face conversations | Newer and English only for now; web version depends on the browser's speech service |
1. Is Apple Live Captions good for face-to-face conversations?
Yes, particularly if you already use an iPhone.
Apple Live Captions is built into recent iPhones, so there's nothing to install (how to turn it on). Apple's feature availability page lists it for English (United Kingdom).
It captions audio playing on the phone, which makes it especially useful for calls, FaceTime and videos. Tap the microphone button in the Live Captions panel to caption somebody speaking nearby.
Best at: being there already.
Watch out for: captions appear in a floating panel. For a long face-to-face conversation, you may prefer something that gives the words more of the screen.
Cost: free as part of iOS on supported iPhones.
2. Is Google Live Transcribe good for conversations?
Very.
Google Live Transcribe shows speech and sounds around you as text on an Android phone. It's already installed on Pixel phones and selected other Android phones; on others, you can download it from Google Play.
Open it. Put the phone near the person speaking. Read.
Best at: straightforward nearby speech on Android. You can also download languages for offline use.
Watch out for: it's an Android tool, so it isn't the answer on iPhone.
Cost: free.
3. Is Ava a good live caption app?
Ava is broader than a simple speech-to-text screen.
It runs on iPhone, Android and computers and is built for Deaf and hard-of-hearing people using captions across conversations, meetings, education and work, with features such as speaker identification.
Best at: moving between conversations, meetings and different devices.
Watch out for: more features and account options than you may need for one big sentence on a phone. Ava has a free plan with time-limited sessions and paid plans for more; check Ava's pricing page for current details.
4. What is Subt, and how is it different?
Subt is ours, so we'll be clear about that from the start. It's also newer than the others here.
We built it for a narrower job: put a phone between two people and make the other person's words easy to read. The text fills the screen in very large type, with a Clear button when you want to start again. No account. Nothing saved.
The free web app works in Chrome, Edge and Safari, not Firefox. It uses the browser's speech service, so performance can vary with the browser, connection, voice and background noise. A £1.99 iPhone app is coming, with speech recognition on the phone itself. Subt is English only for now.
Best at: quick one-to-one conversations where you want the words big and everything else out of the way.
Watch out for: it isn't a meeting platform, call-captioning system or multilingual tool. If you need those, another option here may suit you better.
Which live caption app should I choose?
Start with the situation, not the brand.
For calls and videos
Try Apple Live Captions on iPhone. On Android, check your phone's built-in captions as well as Live Transcribe. Built-in first. Extra app only if you need one.
For a GP reception, pharmacy or shop counter
You want speed. Someone says something; you read it; done.
Live Transcribe is a natural choice on Android. Subt is designed for exactly this sort of one-to-one exchange on a shared screen.
In healthcare, an app is a back-up, not a substitute for professional communication support. If you need a BSL interpreter or another reasonable adjustment, ask for it. Here's what you can ask your GP for.
For family dinners
For one person across the table, Live Transcribe, Apple Live Captions or Subt may be enough. Several people talking over each other is hard for any captioning app.
One at a time helps. Phone closer. Telly down.
For bigger groups where knowing who's speaking matters, Ava may be worth exploring.
For work meetings
Look beyond the simplest phone apps. Ava is designed for meetings and several speakers, and the meeting software your employer already uses may have captions built in. If you need professional communication support rather than automatic captions, ask for it.
Quick answers
Are free live caption apps accurate?
They can be very useful, but none is perfect. Accuracy changes with the speaker, microphone position, background noise, connection and the words used. For medication, addresses, appointment times or money, confirm what was said rather than relying on the caption alone.
Do live caption apps replace BSL interpreters?
No. Automatic captions and BSL interpreting are different kinds of communication access. If BSL is your preferred or necessary language, a captioning app is not a replacement for an interpreter.
Which live caption app is easiest for an older person?
Usually the one with the fewest steps for the job they need. An iPhone user may find Apple's Live Captions easiest because it's already there. For a simple shared-screen conversation, look for large text and as few buttons as possible.
