What is Live Transcribe & Notification?
Live Transcribe & Notification is an accessibility app from Research at Google, made for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. It uses automatic speech recognition to show what people around you are saying as live text on your phone screen.
The second part of the app listens for important household sounds, such as smoke alarms, sirens, doorbells, a dog barking or a baby crying, and sends you an alert, including to a connected wearable. Transcripts are not saved by default, but you can choose to keep them for three days, search them and copy text. Audio is processed and then discarded. It has a 4.4 star rating from more than 270,000 reviews on Google Play.
Main Features
- Real-time captions of nearby speech
- Sound notifications for alarms, doorbells and more
- Alerts on connected wearables
- Optional three-day transcript saving
- Search and copy text from transcripts
- Turned on from Android accessibility settings
How to Get Started with Live Transcribe & Notification
- Install Live Transcribe & Notification from Google Play.
- Open Accessibility settings and turn on the service.
- Pick your language in the app.
- Hold your phone near the speaker and read the live captions.
Live Transcribe & Notification Pricing
Live Transcribe & Notification is completely free on Google Play, with no in-app purchases or subscription.
Who Should Use It?
- People who are deaf or hard of hearing
- Family and friends of people with hearing loss
- Teachers with deaf students
- Anyone in a noisy place who needs captions
- Workplaces supporting accessibility
Live Transcribe & Notification Alternatives
- Rev: Transcription and captions with AI and human options.
- Transkriptor: AI transcription for audio and video files.
- TurboScribe: Online AI transcription with a generous free allowance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Live Transcribe free?
Yes. Live Transcribe & Notification is free on Google Play with no paid features.
Is Live Transcribe available on iPhone?
No. Google's Live Transcribe & Notification is an Android app. Apps with similar names on the App Store are not made by Google.
Does Live Transcribe save my conversations?
Not by default. You can turn on saving to keep transcripts for three days, and the audio itself is discarded after processing.