> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.sidecue.app/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # How to turn on live captions in Zoom, Teams and Google Meet - URL: https://www.sidecue.app/blog/live-captions-zoom-teams-meet/ - Published: 2026-10-26T05:23:49.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-26T05:23:49.000Z - Description: Step-by-step instructions for turning on live captions in Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet, how to change the caption language, and what translated captions need. - Author: Michał Włosik - Tags: How-to Live captions turn speech into text on your screen while people talk. They help when someone speaks fast, the audio is poor, there's an accent you're not used to, or the meeting is in your second language. All three big meeting apps have them built in, and each takes a few clicks to turn on. ![Summary of the steps to turn on live captions in Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet](https://www.sidecue.app/content/images/2026/10/image-mvot753i.webp) The short version for each app. Details below. ## Zoom ### Turn on captions 1. Join the meeting in the Zoom desktop app or the Zoom web app. 2. In the meeting controls toolbar, click **Show captions**. 3. If you don't see it, click **More**, then **Show captions**. Captions appear above the toolbar. ### Change the caption language 1. Click the up arrow next to the captions icon. 2. Click **Caption language** and choose a language. 3. Confirm in the pop-up and click **Save**. Note that in Zoom the caption language applies to everyone in the meeting, not just you. ### If captions aren't available The host has to allow captions for the meeting. If the host limited who can turn them on, you'll see **Request captions** instead; the host or a co-host has to approve it. When you send the request, you can also tick **Send request with translation** to ask for captions in another language. Which caption languages you can pick depends on the host's settings. ## Microsoft Teams ### Turn on captions 1. Join the meeting. 2. In the meeting controls, select **More actions** (the three dots). 3. Select **Captions**. ### Change the spoken language Captions work best when Teams knows which language people are speaking. 1. Hover over the captions and select **Open caption settings**. 2. Hover over **Meeting spoken language** and pick the language. 3. Select **Update**. Only the organiser, a co-organiser or whoever started transcription can change this while transcription is on. ### Translated captions Live translated captions are part of Teams Premium and Microsoft Copilot. If the organiser has one of these licences, everyone in the meeting can use them. With a licence, open caption settings, check the spoken language, then choose a language under **Translate to**. ## Google Meet ### Turn on captions 1. Join the meeting in your browser. 2. At the bottom of the screen, click **Turn on captions**. Captions in Meet are only turned on for you, so you won't change anything for other people. ### Change the caption language 1. Click **More options**, then **Settings**, then **Captions**. 2. Make sure captions are on, and choose the language people are speaking. ### Translated captions Meet can also translate captions into another language. In the same Captions settings, choose **Translated captions**, then pick the language to translate from and to. Translated captions are only available on some Google Workspace plans, such as Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus, and some languages are still rolling out. For more, read [Google Meet translation: what works and what doesn't](https://www.sidecue.app/blog/google-meet-translation/). ## When captions aren't enough Captions show you the words. They don't tell you what the words mean. If someone says “we're running behind, so let's cut to the chase”, captions will spell it out perfectly, and you still have to work out the meaning while the conversation moves on. That's the gap [Sidecue's Language coach](https://www.sidecue.app/language-coach/) fills. It listens to your meeting tab and, a few seconds after someone speaks, shows what they meant, explains idioms and jargon at your level, and suggests phrases you could say back. ![Sidecue cue explaining the phrases running behind and cut to the chase, with a suggested reply](https://www.sidecue.app/content/images/2026/10/image-mvot77bp.webp) Captions give you the words. A cue tells you what they meant. Sidecue also has its own **Captions** tab with a running transcript of the call, so you can scroll back to something you missed, in any app that runs in a Chrome tab. ![Sidecue Captions tab showing a live transcript of a meeting](https://www.sidecue.app/content/images/2026/10/image-mvot72hc.webp) Sidecue's Captions tab keeps a running transcript next to the call. Sidecue works with Google Meet, and with Zoom and Teams when you join in the browser rather than the desktop app. No bot joins the call, and Sidecue only listens to the tab after you press Start. The free plan includes 30 minutes a month. Try it first in a [practice call](https://dashboard.sidecue.app/practice?ref=sidecue.app). [Add Sidecue to Chrome for free](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/pllhpgpangdencphpndfefkmleghigbj?ref=sidecue.app) ## Tips for better captions - **Set the right spoken language.** Captions in the wrong language are mostly nonsense. - **Ask people to use a headset.** Clear audio makes a bigger difference than any setting. - **Don't trust captions for numbers and names.** Check important figures in the chat or by email afterwards. - **Prepare key terms.** Knowing the names and jargon before the call helps you read captions faster. Our [meeting preparation checklist](https://www.sidecue.app/blog/meeting-preparation-checklist/) covers this. ## FAQ ### Can other people see that I turned on captions? In Google Meet, captions are only on for you. In Zoom, captions are shown to the people who turn them on, but changing the caption language changes it for everyone. ### Are live captions free? Basic captions are included in Zoom, Teams and Google Meet. Translated captions usually need a paid plan or add-on: Teams Premium or Microsoft Copilot for Teams, and specific Google Workspace editions for Meet. ### Why don't I see the captions button? In Zoom, the host may have turned captions off or limited them; try **Request captions**. In any app, an old app version or a company policy set by your IT admin can also hide the option.