Use Live Transcribe

You can use Live Transcribe on your Android device to capture speech and sound and see them as text on your screen. 

Download and turn on Live Transcribe

Note: If you have a Pixel phone, skip to the Pixel section below.

  1. Download Live Transcribe and Sound Notifications on Google Play.
  2. Go to the Apps section.
  3. Tap the Live Transcribe app Live Transcribe. 
  4. Make sure that you're connected to the Internet.
  5. Hold your device microphone near the person or sound that you want to capture. The microphone is usually located at the bottom of your device.

Pixel: Turn on Live Transcribe

Live Transcribe is already installed on Pixel phones and selected other Android phones. To turn on Live Transcribe, follow these steps:

  1. Open your device's settings app Settings app.
  2. Tap Accessibility, then tap Live Transcribe.
  3. Tap Open Live Transcribe. 
  4. To accept the permissions, tap OK. 
  5. Optional: Change your Live Transcribe shortcut. Learn about accessibility shortcuts.
  6. To start Live Transcribe, use your Live Transcribe shortcut (two-finger swipe up, or tap the Accessibility button Accessibility).
  7. Make sure that you're connected to the Internet.
  8. Hold your device microphone near the person or sound that you want to capture. The microphone is usually located at the bottom of your device.

Tips for using Live Transcribe

Type a response

You can type a response instead of speaking during a conversation.

  1. While Live Transcribe is running, tap Type Type.
  2. Enter text using the on-screen keyboard.
  3. To return to full screen, tap Back Back.

Copy and paste

To copy and paste text from the transcription, touch and hold text, then select Copy or Select transcription.

Clear the screen

To clear the screen, swipe up. To bring back the transcript, swipe down. 

Search in transcription

  1. While Live Transcribe is running, tap Settings Settings.
  2. Tap Search transcription.
  3. Type your search term.
  4. Tap to view a search result in context.

Hide or show sounds

Along with speech, Live Transcribe can show you non-speech sounds, including human sounds like 'Laughing' or environmental sounds like 'Doorbell' or 'Music'. 

To hide or show non-speech sounds:

  1. While Live Transcribe is running, tap Settings Settings.
  2. Tap More settings.
  3. Tap Show sound labels.

To see how much sound is present, look at the sound indicator at the top right of your screen Sound indicator. 

Pause transcription for easier reading

  1. While Live Transcribe is running, tap Settings Settings.
  2. Tap More settings.
  3. Tap Advanced, then tap Show hold button.
  4. To return to Live Transcribe, tap Back Back.
  5. To pause or resume the transcript, tap Pause Pause.

Change Live Transcribe settings

Add custom words

If your conversations often include uncommon words or phrases, you can add them so that they can be transcribed.

  1. While Live Transcribe is running, tap Settings Settings.
  2. Tap More settings.
  3. Tap Custom words.
  4. Tap Add word.

Vibrate when name is spoken

You can get notified with a vibration when someone speaks a word or name that you specify. 

  1. While Live Transcribe is running, tap Settings Settings.
  2. Tap More settings.
  3. Tap Vibrate when name is spoken.
  4. Tap Add name.

Change text size

  1. While Live Transcribe is running, tap Settings Settings.
  2. To change the text size, use the slider.

Change language

  1. While Live Transcribe is running, tap Settings Settings.
  2. Tap More settings.
  3. To set your primary language, tap Primary language, then choose a language from the list.
  4. Optional: To set a secondary language, tap Secondary language, then choose a language from the list.

Tip: To change language quickly while Live Transcribe is running, tap the language (such as English) at the bottom of your screen.

Connect an external microphone

You can use an external microphone instead of the microphone on your device.

  1. Connect an external microphone to your device.
  2. While Live Transcribe is running, tap Settings Settings.
  3. Tap More settings.
  4. Tap Microphone.
  5. Select the external microphone from the list.

Save or delete transcriptions

You can save transcriptions in Live Transcribe for up to three days by following the instructions below. Transcriptions that you save are automatically deleted after three days. You can also delete your transcription history at any time.

Audio and transcriptions are encrypted and processed by Google Cloud Services and are not stored anywhere except on your device. If you save a transcription, it's stored securely on your device within the Live Transcribe app. 

Save a transcription for three days

  1. While Live Transcribe is running, tap Settings Settings.
  2. Turn on Save this transcription. 

 Save all transcriptions for three days

  1. While Live Transcribe is running, tap Settings Settings.
  2. Tap More settings.
  3. Turn on Save transcription.

 Delete transcription history

  1. While Live Transcribe is running, tap Settings Settings.
  2. Tap More settings.
  3. Tap Delete history.

 

Note: It isn't possible to export transcriptions from Live Transcribe. However, you can copy and paste text as described above in 'Copy and paste'.

Use limitations

Google does not intend uses of Live Transcribe to create obligations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, as amended ('HIPAA'). Google makes no representations that Live Transcribe satisfies HIPAA requirements.