Live Transcribe & Notification

Research at Google

About this app

Live Transcribe & Sound Notifications makes everyday conversations and surrounding sounds more accessible among people who are deaf and hard of hearing, using just your Android phone.

On most devices, you can open Live Transcribe & Sound Notifications with these steps:
1. Open your device's Settings app
2. Tap Accessibility
3. Depending on which feature you'd like to use, tap Live Transcribe or Sound Notifications

You can also use the accessibility button, gesture, or Quick Settings to start Live Transcribe or Sound Notifications (https://g.co/a11y/shortcutsFAQ).

Real-time transcriptions
• Get transcriptions in real-time in over 120 languages and dialects. Add custom words that you use frequently, like names or household items.
• Set your phone to vibrate when someone says your name.
• Type responses in your conversation.
• Use external microphones found in wired headsets, Bluetooth headsets, and USB mics for better audio reception.
• On foldable phones, show transcriptions and typed responses on the outside screen so it's easier to communicate with others.
• Choose to save transcriptions for 3 days. Saved transcriptions will stay on your device for 3 days so you can copy and paste them elsewhere. By default, transcriptions are not saved.

Sound Notifications
• Get notified about important sounds around you, like when a smoke alarm beeps or baby cries.
• Add custom sounds to get notified when your appliances beep.
• Review sounds from the past 12 hours to check what was happening around you.

Requirements:
• Android 12 and up

Live Transcribe & Sound Notifications was made in collaboration with Gallaudet University, the premier Deaf and hard of hearing university in the US.

Help & feedback
• To provide feedback and get product updates, join the Accessible Google Group at https://g.co/a11y/forum
• For help using Live Transcribe & Sound Notifications, connect with us at https://g.co/disabilitysupport

Permissions notice
Microphone: Live Transcribe and Sound Notifications needs microphone access to transcribe the speech and sounds around you. The audio is not stored after transcriptions or recognized sounds are processed.
Notifications: Sound Notifications features require notifications access in order to notify you of sounds.
Nearby devices: Live Transcribe needs access to nearby devices to connect with your Bluetooth microphones.

Ratings and reviews

I'm still trying to get s handle on this app. I have to say, the speed and spelling accuracy of this app blows me away. I can have the TV going in the room and be talking to two people and the app is recording , in real time, every word . Of the TV, of me , and whomever else is conversing. I'd like to have better / more options to control its settings. Right now, I've got s floating button on my screen. I do not want it there. II cannot figure out if it's a bug in the app, or feature.

Some reason I always thought it transcribed end of story. Turns out it saves the whole thing. It has been horrid it is constantly so way off base even with easy words! It makes the conversation more complicated than if I just tried my best to hear what's going on. Not a fan that it keeps a history. Maybe some day there'll be an app that actually helps. What makes it worse? It's constantly erasing and changing things 3 paragraphs behind convo! It's a whirlwind

I am ADHD and have a hard time remembering what I hear in a class or taking effective notes. I found Live Transcribe to be a great help to me in this area and I was able to learn much better when I used it. That is, until it stopped working. I've tried updating, removing and reinstalling, everything I can think of an nothing has worked. I'm very sad.

What's new

• Dual screen support on foldable phones. Experiences can vary on different phones.
• Support for more offline languages, including Hindi, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, and Vietnamese.