01
Verify the Windows version
Open Settings > System > About and locate Windows specifications. Check the displayed Windows version before continuing. Live Captions requires Windows 11 version 22H2 or newer.
Press Windows + Ctrl + L or open Settings > Accessibility > Captions to enable Live Captions. Download the required speech language files, choose a caption language, and play audio to verify recognition.
Requirements
- Windows 11 version 22H2 or newer.
- An internet connection for downloading language files during initial setup.
- A supported speech recognition language.
- Audio containing spoken words for testing.
Instructions
02
Open accessibility caption settings
Open Settings > Accessibility > Captions. Locate the Live captions toggle and switch it to On. Windows should open the Live Captions interface and display any required initial setup instructions.
03
Install the speech recognition files
Follow the initial setup prompt to download the required language files. Approve the download when Windows requests permission to install speech recognition components. An internet connection is normally needed for this initial installation.
04
Select the caption language
Open the Settings button inside the Live Captions window and select Change language. Choose a supported speech language, then select Continue. If Windows requests additional language files, download them before proceeding.
05
Configure caption appearance
Return to Settings > Accessibility > Captions and locate Caption style. Select a readable preset or choose Edit to customize an available style. Adjust text and background appearance as needed for clear visibility.
06
Set the caption window position
Open the Settings button in the Live Captions window and find Position. Choose a supported position such as Top or Bottom to keep captions away from important screen content. Use the floating option if you prefer to reposition the caption window manually.
07
Test Live Captions
Play a video containing clearly spoken dialogue through your computer's audio output. Keep Live Captions enabled and watch for generated text in the caption window. Confirm that captions appear and roughly match the speech.
08
Verify the keyboard shortcut
Press Windows + Ctrl + L to turn the Live Captions interface off. Press the same shortcut again to reopen it. Confirm that the configured language and caption presentation remain available.
⚠ warningAutomatically generated captions can contain recognition errors. Do not rely on them as a perfect transcript for medical, legal, or safety-critical instructions.
Common issues
Windows cannot download the required language files.
Check your internet connection and confirm that Microsoft Store services are accessible. Retry the language download after restoring connectivity.
Captions appear in the wrong language.
Open Settings > Change language inside the Live Captions window and select the correct speech language. Download any missing language components.
Captions do not appear while a video is playing.
Confirm Live Captions is enabled and the video contains audible speech in the selected recognition language. Test another video with clear dialogue to rule out unsupported or unclear audio.
Frequently asked
Does Live Captions require a Copilot+ PC?
No. Basic Live Captions is available on supported Windows 11 computers. Additional live translation capabilities have separate hardware requirements.
Does Windows save the generated captions automatically?
No. Standard Live Captions does not automatically store a transcript of the recognized speech.
Where is the official documentation?
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/windows/use-live-captions-to-better-understand-audio
How to undo this
Open Settings > Accessibility > Captions and switch Live captions to Off. Close the caption window if it remains visible, and restore any caption appearance settings you changed.
Interactive version: checklist, feedback, related guides →
Free · no account needed · tracks your progress