Live Transcription: Zoom to roll out automatic closed captioning to free users

Previously the feature was only available to those who had paid accounts

Zoom will be offering its Live Transcription feature to free users starting in the autumn. Courtesy Zoom

It seems as though pretty much everyone has used Zoom at one point or another because of the pandemic. While the service has been very helpful in connecting colleagues as well as family and friends, it is also looking to become more accessible.

Now the video-conferencing platform has announced it will offer Live Transcription, or real-time automatic closed captioning, to its free users, something that was previously only available to paid account holders.

The Live Transcription feature will roll out this autumn, the company announced in a blog post. The benefits of such a service include making it easier to understand a speaker if English isn't their first language or allowing better clarity if someone listening has issues with their speakers.

Zoom has also added that they will offer the service immediately to any meeting hosts who may need it more urgently. It will be available upon request after filling out a Google Form. Users will then get a confirmation email with more details.

The team also said they expect a “high volume of requests”, so they’ve asked for patience while working to make the service available for all.

The Zoom support page notes the feature is currently only available in English. Automatic closed captioning is also available on other video-conferencing services such as Google Meet.