Google's Live Caption feature lands on the Pixel 3, Pixel 3a

With the release of the December security patch, the update brings Google's Live Caption to the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a handsets. Google confirmed the update on its Android Twitter account. Owners of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a just need to download the update to get the feature. You have to head into your settings to check if Live Captions are enabled.

The feature first debuted on the Pixel 4. When an app supports it, videos, podcasts, and other audio files will display a subtitle box that you can move around the screen. A small Live Caption toggle will appear below the volume controls when your Pixel is playing a supported media.

Pixel 4 gets first dibs on Live Caption, will come to Pixel 3 and 3a in December

When the Pixel 4 series launches this month, the phones will be the first to get Google's Live Caption feature. It's designed to run subtitles through videos you watch on your phone, making sure you don't miss anything even if you're watching the clip in noisy environments. According to MobileSyrup, Canadian users will be getting the feature on their Pixel 4 phones, too. Soon after the Pixel 3 and 3a will be getting the feature (sometime in December, to be exact). 

Get real-time subtitles on any audio or video on your phone with Android Q's Live Caption feature

One of the most useful features coming to Android Q makes it easier for the hard of hearing or deaf users to understand what’s happening in video and audio clips they’re watching or listening to. Live Caption will let you see any audio or video clip transcribed in real time, which The Verge’s Chris Welch is said to be done “with extremely accurate results.” The Live Caption is overlaid on top of whatever media app you’re using. It even works for video chat apps like Skype and Google Duo as well as with video or audio you record yourself. It makes use of on-device machine learning so it doesn’t have to send your data to the cloud to interpret what’s happening. It also works even when volume is turned down or muted. However, it won’t save the translations for later use.

The captions, which appear in a black box that you can move around, disappear when the content is over. It is turned off by default, but you can enable the feature in your phone’s accessibility settings. These can then be enabled through a software icon that appears in the volume UI pop-up. The feature will prove to be useful even to those without hearing problems. Imagine being on a crowded train and just wanting to watch a clip without having to turn up the volume to hear what’s happening or use it as a guide for transcribing.