What you need to know
- We have our first look at Android 10's upcoming Live Caption feature.
- The feature can detect speech in media being played on a device and automatically generate captions.
- Live Caption will be coming to select high-end Android smartphones, including Google's Pixel line this fall.
At I/O 2019, Google showcased a new feature called Live Caption, capable of adding real-time subtitles to any video or audio playing on a device. However, unlike features like Live Transcribe, which were made available soon after the event ended, the Live Caption feature hasn't been released yet. Thanks to the folks at XDA Developers, we finally have our first look at the new Android 10 accessibility feature in action.
As you can see in the screenshots below, the Live Caption settings page will allow users to choose the language, mask profanity, and have a Live Caption toggle show in the volume panel. To help users get an idea of how the feature works, a short demo video is included as well.
Users will see a dialog when the feature detects audio being played on the device. While captions will appear in the middle of the screen in portrait mode and right above the bottom when in landscape mode, you do get an option to tap and drag the captions to reposition it.
The XDA Developers report notes that the feature supports various popular apps such as YouTube, Google Podcasts, Google Photos, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video. However, Live Caption does not currently work for phone calls or video calls.
The Live Caption feature is aimed at making videos, podcasts, social media, as well as audio and video messages accessible to users with hearing loss or hearing impairment. It will likely debut on the Pixel 4 but will also be rolled out to select high-end devices running Android 10 this fall.
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