How to Turn On Captions in Zoom (and Fix a Missing Button)

Zoom's live captions are one of its most useful features and one of the least understood. Whether you see the captions button depends on settings your admin controls, whether they're accurate depends mostly on your audio, and there's a full transcript hiding one click away. Here's how to switch captions on as a participant or host, and how to get better results.

Turn on captions during a Zoom meeting

1. Join or start the meeting.
2. In the meeting controls toolbar, click Show captions. If you can't see it, check under More.
3. Captions appear above the controls, with each line labelled with the speaker's display name.
4. To change the language, click the arrow next to the captions icon and pick the language being spoken.

Zoom says that, by default, any participant can turn captions on and view them. If the host has restricted captions, you may see an option to request them instead.

On the Zoom phone app

On a phone or tablet, tap More in the meeting controls, then tap Show CC. Captions appear above the meeting controls, just as they do on a computer.

If you see Request captions instead

When a host has limited who can switch captions on, without disabling them completely, Zoom swaps the button for Request captions. Click it (or find it under More), then Send. The host, and sometimes co-hosts, get a notification and can approve or decline. Once approved, captions appear straight away for you and everyone else. You can also tick the option to request translated captions.

Set the right language first

Here's the setting that makes or breaks accuracy. Zoom uses English by default, and it generates captions in the language it expects to hear. If people are speaking one language and Zoom is expecting another, Zoom says the captions will be inaccurate. If your meeting isn't in English, set the spoken language as soon as captions are on.

Why the captions button might be missing

Cause	Fix
Automated captions are off for your account	An admin turns them on in the Zoom web portal under Account Settings, the Meeting tab, In Meeting (Advanced)
Your account doesn't include them	Zoom says to contact your Account Executive
The host has restricted who can enable captions	Ask the host, or use the request option if it appears
Manual captioning is running	Zoom says automated captions can't be used when manual captioning is enabled

For admins: switching automated captions on

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin.
2. Go to Account Management, then Account Settings.
3. Open the Meeting tab.
4. Under In Meeting (Advanced), turn on Automated captions, and choose the languages you want available.

Zoom also lets admins set this for groups of users, and individual users can change it in their own settings unless it's locked at a higher level.

See the whole transcript, not just the live line

Captions scroll past, but Zoom keeps the full text while the meeting runs. Click the arrow next to the Show captions icon, then View full transcript under Captions and translation. You can search it, and click Save transcript to download it as a text file. For anyone who joins late, or who wants to check what was agreed, that's gold.

How accurate are Zoom captions?

Good, not perfect, and Zoom says so itself. Accuracy depends on background noise, how loudly and clearly people speak, and words or accents specific to a region or community. Zoom warns automated captions may not be accurate in healthcare settings, and recommends a human captioner if you need a set level of accuracy for compliance or accessibility.

• Use a headset or a decent microphone rather than a laptop mic across the room.
• Ask people to mute when they're not speaking.
• Spell out names and jargon in the chat so readers can follow.
• Don't talk over each other: captions can only follow one voice at a time well.

If you speak on calls a lot, my guide to the best microphones for podcasting applies just as well to meetings: better audio means better captions.

Captions when your internet is slow

Zoom has an option called automated captions on device, which processes the audio on your own computer instead of in the cloud, so captions keep working on a weaker connection or with poor audio. It needs a recent desktop app (version 6.5.3 or higher) and a fairly modern machine: Zoom lists Windows computers with an Intel 11th Gen or AMD Ryzen 7 processor and 6 or more cores, or Macs with Apple silicon M2 or newer.

Captions versus subtitles elsewhere

If you're used to switching subtitles off on video sites, Zoom's captions work differently: they're generated live from the meeting audio. My guide on turning off subtitles on YouTube covers the video side if that's what you were after.

My verdict

Click Show captions, set the spoken language straight away and open the full transcript when you need to catch up. If the button isn't there, it's an admin setting, not a fault. And treat automated captions as a helpful aid rather than a perfect record, especially where accuracy really matters.

Frequently asked questions

How do I turn on captions in Zoom?

Click Show captions in the meeting controls toolbar, or look under More. Captions appear above the controls.

Why is there no captions button in Zoom?

Automated captions may be off for your account, the host may have restricted them, or manual captioning may be running. An admin can enable them in the web portal.

Can I get a transcript from Zoom captions?

Yes. Click the arrow next to Show captions, choose View full transcript, then Save transcript to download a text file.

Are Zoom captions accurate?

Zoom says they may not be. Accuracy depends on background noise, speaker clarity and accents, and the spoken language setting.

Can Zoom captions work in other languages?

Yes. English is the default, but you can select the language being spoken, which Zoom says is needed for accurate captions.