Google Live Transcribe review

Live Transcribe & Sound Notifications is the default conversation captioning tool on Android, and on most phones you can open it from Settings, then Accessibility. It turns nearby speech into text in real time in over 80 languages and dialects, and the redesigned conversation screen makes it easier to type replies back. You can add custom words such as names, set the phone to vibrate when someone says your name, and plug in a wired, Bluetooth or USB microphone for better pickup in a noisy room. On foldable phones, text can show on the outside screen so the other person sees your reply. Transcripts are not saved by default, but you can keep them on the device for 3 days. Sound Notifications alerts you to smoke alarms, a crying baby or appliance beeps. Google built it with Gallaudet University and RIT/NTID. It does not caption phone calls, and its 3.8 Google Play rating reflects complaints about punctuation and dropped words.

Who it is for

Android users who want free captions for face-to-face conversation and sound alerts.

Price

Free on Google Play (USD check pending).

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• Real-time transcription in over 80 languages and dialects
• Custom words for names and household items
• Phone vibrates when someone says your name
• Supports external wired, Bluetooth and USB microphones
• Sound Notifications for alarms, a crying baby or appliance beeps

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free, from Google, with over 1 billion downloads on Google Play
• Strength: Made in collaboration with Gallaudet University and RIT/NTID
• Strength: Sound alerts are included in the same app
• Weakness: Android only (Android 12 and up)
• Weakness: Does not caption phone calls
• Weakness: Some Google Play reviewers report punctuation errors and gaps in text

Key facts

• Languages: Over 80 languages and dialects
• Platform: Android 12 and up
• Google Play rating: 3.8 from about 276,000 reviews
• Saved transcripts: Optional, kept on device for 3 days
• Price: Free

Where it ranks

Google Live Transcribe is No. 3 in our Best Captioning Apps verdict.