How to Use Live Captions for Microphone in Windows 11

Windows 11 includes a built-in Live Captions feature that can automatically transcribe spoken audio in real time. While primarily used for system audio like videos and meetings, it can also transcribe live in-person conversations using a connected microphone. This guide explains how to enable Live Captions, configure the feature to include microphone input, and ensure your audio settings are optimized for capturing speech in a live room.

Step 1: Open Live Captions

You can launch Live Captions using either a keyboard shortcut or the Windows Settings menu:

• Keyboard Shortcut: Press Windows Key + Ctrl + L.
• Via Settings: Open Settings (Win + I), navigate to Accessibility > Captions, and toggle Live captions to On.

The first time you use the feature, Windows may prompt you to download the speech recognition language pack. Follow the on-screen prompt to complete the download.

Step 2: Enable Microphone Audio Capture

By default, Live Captions only listens to audio playing directly from your PC. To capture live speech in the room:

1. Click the Settings (gear icon) located on the Live Captions floating bar.
2. Select Preferences.
3. Check the box for Include microphone audio.

When enabled, the caption box will immediately begin processing audio picked up by your default microphone alongside any internal audio playback.

Step 3: Select and Configure Your Room Microphone

To ensure Live Captions listens to the correct input device:

1. Open Settings (Win + I) and go to System > Sound.
2. Under the Input section, select the microphone you are using to capture the room audio (such as an external USB conference mic, boundary microphone, or built-in array).
3. Adjust the Input volume slider to ensure the speech is clearly audible without clipping or distortion.
4. Click on the selected microphone to verify that the Audio enhancements or noise suppression settings are enabled if supported by your hardware, which helps filter out background room noise.

Step 4: Verify Microphone Privacy Permissions

If Live Captions fails to capture voice input, ensure Windows has granted permission to use the microphone:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone.
2. Ensure Microphone access is toggled On.
3. Ensure Let apps access your microphone is toggled On.

Step 5: Customize Caption Display (Optional)

You can adjust how the transcribed text appears on your screen:

1. Click the Settings (gear icon) on the Live Captions bar.
2. Under Position, choose whether to dock the captions at the Top, Bottom, or make them a Floating on screen window.
3. Under Caption style, select text color, font size, and background opacity to maximize readability.