Google’s Live Caption feature for its Pixel phones now supports voice and video calls on the Pixel 2 and later, meaning any Pixel phone bar the first generation will get it via a software update (via Engadget).
Live Caption is a feature that displays on the screen of the phone the audio of what’s playing. Until now, it didn’t support calls but that has now changed, meaning any voice or video call over any service should work.
It’s pushed as an accessibility feature and it’s great for many users in noisy environments also. Google says it’ll work over cellular or Wi-Fi and via apps like Duo, Telegram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, as well as the normal phone app.
To get around the privacy implications of putting live captions on for calls, Google said it will alert people if the person they’re talking to has Live Caption on by saying, “Hi, the person you’re about to speak with has call captions turned on. They’ll see captions of what you say to help them listen along.”
Live Caption works on-device, so technically does not need a data connection. So far not many non-Google phones have adopted the feature that debuted with Android 10, with the Samsung Galaxy S20 the first to get it.
Author: Henry Burrell, Phones Editor
Henry is Tech Advisor’s Phones Editor, ensuring he and the team covers and reviews every smartphone worth knowing about for readers and viewers all over the world. He spends a lot of time moving between different handsets and shouting at WhatsApp to support multiple devices at once.