Captions

Live captions on your wrist.

Your Apple Watch listens and shows you what people are saying — while your iPhone stays in your pocket. Nothing is uploaded, because there is nowhere to upload it to.

Watch — live captions
Watch — start screen
iPhone — saved transcripts

What it does well, and what it doesn't

Captions works best in one-to-one and small-group conversation at ordinary speaking distance. Like every speech recogniser, it struggles in noisy rooms, with several people talking over each other, and with accents it hasn't heard much of. It does not label who is speaking, and it will get words wrong.

Captions is a convenience app, not a medical device or a hearing aid. It is not a substitute for professional captioning or interpreting, and it makes no claim to treat or diagnose anything.

Common questions

How is this different from Apple's Live Listen captions?
Apple's Live Listen captions are transcribed from your iPhone's microphone, so the phone has to be near whoever is speaking, and your watch shows the result. Captions listens with the watch — the microphone is on your wrist, so your phone can stay in your pocket. It also keeps working when your phone isn't with you at all, and it can save and summarise conversations rather than showing them once and forgetting. Apple's feature is free and built in; if it fits how you live, use it.
Do I need an iPhone?
Yes, for setup and for the best accuracy — but not with you at every moment. The watch captions on its own when the phone isn't reachable.
Is my conversation sent anywhere?
No. There is no server, no account, and no analytics. Audio is processed on your watch and your phone and is not stored after a session ends. See the privacy policy.
Does it record the other person?
Audio is transcribed as it is heard and is not saved. If you choose to keep a conversation, the text transcript is saved on your devices. Please be mindful that recording or transcribing others may require their consent where you live.