Accessibility features are centered on improving an interface for a particular disability , but often they can meliorate experience for all users . The fresh Live Captions feature , currently in beta testing on certain devices and countries , is a choice illustration . Apple aims to turn all audio produced by your machine into accurately transcribe legible text , much like bouncy Text can extract text from bitmapped image .

To start the feature , you must have an iPhone 11 or later with iOS 16 installed , a relatively recent iPad running iPadOS 16 ( see this listing ) , or an Apple silicon ( M1 or M2 ) Mac with macOS Ventura installed . For iPhones and iPads , Apple say Live Captions works only when the twist terminology is set to English ( U.S. ) or English ( Canada ) . The macOS description more generally says the genus Beta is “ not available in all languages , countries , or regions . ”

If you could employ Live Captions ( or need to ensure if you could ) , go toSettings(iOS / iPadOS)/System configurations(Ventura ) > handiness . If you see a Live Captions ( genus Beta ) point , you may use it . Tap or clickLive Captionsto enable . you may then tapAppearancein iOS / iPadOS or use the top - level computer menu items in macOS to qualify how captions appear . you could separately enable or disable Live Captions in FaceTime to have captions appear in that app .

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Live Captions come out as an overlayer that render its interpretation of audio in English of any speech sound produced by your system . A live audio wave form matches the sound Live Captions “ hear . ” In iOS and iPadOS , you’re able to tap the overlay and access extra controls : derogate , break , mic , and full CRT screen ; in macOS , intermission and the mic button are useable . If you exploit or click the mic clitoris , you could talk and have what you say appear onscreen . This could be ready to hand if you ’re endeavor to show someone the text of what you ’re saying .

The text edition acquire in Live Captions is transient : you ca n’t copy or glue it . It ’s also tolerant to roving blind captures : the overlayer is ostensibly generated in such a way that Io and iPadOS ca n’t capture it .

Live Captions shows a mass of promise – something to keep an eye on as it improves and expands . I tested Live Captions with podcasts , YouTube , and Instagram audio . It was n’t as good as some AI - ground transcription I ’ve seen , as in videoconferencing , but it made a valiant effort , and it was higher-ranking to not receive caption .

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Apple could tie Live caption into its built - in rendering feature , and you might be able-bodied to use it to speak in your own language and show a translated version to someone in their tongue , or have live transcriptions of video flow , podcasts , and other audio in a speech other than one you verbalise .

This Mac 911 article is in reception to a question submitted by Macworld reader Kevin .

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