The Automated Subtitles
Google Chrome features an accessibility tool called “Live Caption.” When this flag/feature is enabled, Chrome leverages on-device machine learning to automatically generate and display real-time text captions for any audio or video playing within the browser. This works across YouTube, podcasts, and even browser-based video calls.
While this is an incredible feature for users who are deaf or hard of hearing, or for those trying to watch a video in a noisy environment without headphones, it can be highly distracting if you do not need it. The caption box floats over the webpage content, often obscuring video controls or important text. Furthermore, the constant real-time transcription utilizes extra CPU cycles, which can drain battery life on older laptops. If you do not require automated subtitles and want to reclaim your screen space, you must turn this feature off.
How to Turn Off Live Captions
You can disable the automatic subtitle generation via Chrome’s Accessibility settings.
- Open Google Chrome.
- Click the three vertical dots (Menu) in the top-right corner of the browser window.
- Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
- In the left-hand sidebar, click on Accessibility.
- Look for the very first option labelled Live Caption (Automatically creates captions for English audio and video).
- Click the toggle switch to turn it Off.
The floating black subtitle box will immediately disappear from any currently playing media. Chrome will stop attempting to process and transcribe audio, saving system resources and removing the visual distraction from your videos.