In Zoom meetings and webinars, you have a variety of options to create a closed caption for each speaker, which provides you with subtitles for the spoken exchange within the meeting. This feature may be used to satisfy the accessibility requirements of participants or so they may follow the discussion easily.
The Zoom meeting features allow users to view manual captions, closed captions provided by closed captioning services integrated with Zoom or live captions that are automatically provided through Zoom’s live transcription feature. There is a similar range of options available to those providing captioning for webinars, although manual captioning is only available to the host or a panelist. Captioning in Zoom Rooms will also be available if you choose any of those options.
The host’s guide will provide you with more details about how to enable and use closed captioning and live transcription in the system.
Contents
Prerequisites for viewing captions in a meeting
Closed captioning
- Zoom desktop client (viewing captions)
- For Windows: 3.5.37712.0111 or higher
- For macOS: 3.5.37712.0111 or higher
- For Linux: 3.5.37712.0111 or higher
- Zoom mobile app (viewing captions)
- For Android: 4.0.21521.0116 or higher
- For iOS: 4.0.21521.0116 or higher
Live transcription
- Zoom desktop client
- For Windows: 5.0.2 or higher
- For macOS: 5.0.2 or higher
- Zoom mobile app
- For Android: 5.0.2 or higher
- For iOS: 5.0.2 or higher
How to view closed captioning or live transcription
During a meeting or webinar, whether closed captioning is available or whether the live transcript is available, you will have the opportunity to view these as a participant. This allows you to view the transcripts either during the meeting or while in Zoom Rooms.
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Windows | macOS
During meetings or webinars, attendees can view closed captioning or live transcription
- In order to use Zoom desktop client, you must first sign in to your account.
- This will allow you to participate in meetings and webinars.
- A notification will appear in the meeting controls indicating that the closed caption service or the live transcription service is available when it has been enabled by the host.
- Closed captioning is available in some places on this website. To begin viewing closed captioning, click Closed Caption.
In order to see subtitles for the live transcription, you can select the Show Subtitles option on the Live Transcript menu. Depending on the meeting settings, a transcript of the meeting can also be viewed on the side panel if it has been enabled.
Note: It is possible to move the position of the provided subtitles in the meeting window by clicking and dragging them.
Request the host to enable live transcription
Having live transcription is not enabled by default for this meeting, but you would like it to be, please contact the meeting host directly to request it be enabled.
- Click here to view the Live Transcript. In order for live transcription to be enabled, you will have to confirm your request to the host.
- If you choose to ask anonymously, your name will not be associated with this request. A participant in the meeting will be notified by the host that this feature is to be enabled, but the host will not have any control over it.
- Please click the Request button to confirm. Once the request has been approved by the host, live transcription will begin.
Linux
During meetings or webinars, you can view the closed captioning
- Log in to the Zoom desktop client on your computer.
- You will be able to join a meeting or webinar.
- The host will make sure that closed captioning is available for the meeting by placing a notification above the Closed Caption options in the meeting controls.
- You can view the closed caption by clicking Closed Caption.
Notes:
- To move the position of the provided subtitles within the meeting window, simply click and drag them around.
- Live transcription for Linux is not currently available, but closed captioning can be accessed via the operating system.
Android | iOS
During a meeting or webinar, you will be able to see closed captioning or live transcription
- Please sign in to the Zoom mobile app.
- Then tap on Settings.
- Then tap on Start Meeting.
- Make sure Closed Captioning is on.
You will notice that in any meeting where closed captioning or live transcription are offered, the transcriptions and captions will automatically appear on the bottom left corner of the screen when in use.
Request the host to enable live transcription
For those of you who would like live transcription, but it is not currently enabled in this meeting without interrupting the host directly, you can ask them to enable it.
- Come to one of our meetings or attend one of our webinars.
- Click here to find out more.
- Click here to request a live transcription. In order for live transcription to be enabled, you will need to confirm your request with the host.
- If you opt to make this submission anonymously, tapping Request Anonymously will allow you to submit this request anonymously. There will just be a notification to the host of the meeting telling him that one of the participants would like to activate this feature.
- To confirm, tap the Request button. Live transcription will begin as soon as the host approves the request.
Web
View closed captioning or live transcription during a meeting or webinar
- With Zoom’s web client, you can participate in meetings or webinars.
- In the meeting controls to the right of Closed Caption or Live Transcript there will be a notification which will indicate the availability of one of the two services when enabled by the host.
- Closed captioning can be viewed by selecting Closed Caption or Live Transcript , then selecting Show Subtitle to begin.
- Live transcription is a service where the transcript is automatically displayed as soon as the host starts playing the recording.
Chrome OS
View closed captioning during a meeting or webinar
- Log in to the Zoom desktop client on your computer.
- You will be able to join a meeting or webinar.
- During a meeting, when the host has enabled Closed Captioning in the meeting controls, you will receive an informed notification above it, which informs you that closed captioning is available during the meeting.
- You can start viewing closed captions by clicking on Closed Caption.
Note: As of the moment, ChromeOS is equipped with closed captioning, but live transcription is not available.
How to adjust the closed captioning size
Windows | macOS | Linux
- You can find the up arrow next to Stop Video / Start Video.
- To access the accessibility settings in video settings, click the Accessibility button.
- The caption size can be changed by adjusting the slider under Closed Captions.
Frequently Asked Questions