Windows 11 has a helpful feature called Live Captions. It shows words on the screen as people talk, which is great if you have trouble hearing or want to follow along with audio.

You can also make Live Captions show what your microphone hears — for example, if you’re speaking or if there’s sound around your device. This guide will show you how to turn on Live Captions and include your microphone audio.

What Are Live Captions?

Live Captions turn spoken words into text that appears on your screen instantly. They work on most audio from your device, like videos, calls, or apps. This feature was added in Windows 11 build 22557.

How to Turn On Live Captions

You can quickly turn on Live Captions by pressing these keys on your keyboard at the same time:

Windows key + Ctrl + L

Or you can turn it on from Windows Quick Settings:

1. Click the Quick Settings area at the bottom-right of your screen (near the clock).
2. Click the Accessibility button (it looks like a person inside a circle).
3. Find and turn on Live Captions.

How to Include Microphone Audio with Live Captions

To make Live Captions show what your microphone hears, follow these steps:

1. Turn on Live Captions by pressing Windows key + Ctrl + L.
2. In the Live Captions bar that appears on your screen, click the Settings button (gear icon).
3. Choose Preferences.
4. Find the option called Include microphone audio and turn it on.

Here’s an example of what the settings look like:

Now, your computer will caption sounds picked up by your microphone, along with other audio playing on your device.

Extra Tips

• You can move the Live Captions bar anywhere on your screen by dragging it.
• Change the caption language if you want to see captions in a different language.
• Turn off Live Captions anytime by pressing Windows key + Ctrl + L again.

For more info about Live Captions and how to customize them, check out this Microsoft Support page.

Summary

• Live Captions help you see spoken words as text on your screen in real time.
• You can include your microphone’s audio so it captions sounds around you or your voice.
• It’s easy to turn on and off using a keyboard shortcut or Quick Settings.
• You can customize captions to fit your needs, including moving the caption bar and changing languages.