The Intrusive Black Box
Google Chrome features a powerful accessibility tool called “Live Caption.” When enabled, the browser utilizes a localized machine learning model to instantly generate text subtitles for any audio playing through the browser. While this is an incredible feature for the deaf and hard of hearing, it can be highly intrusive if you accidentally trigger it. If you are watching a YouTube video or scrolling past an auto-playing ad on a news website, a massive black box will suddenly appear floating in the bottom center of your browser, transcribing the audio. If you do not require subtitles and find the floating box distracting, you must completely disable the transcription engine.
How to Turn Off Live Caption
You can sever the audio transcription engine via the accessibility settings.
- Open the Google Chrome desktop browser.
- Click the three vertical dots (⋮) in the top right corner and select Settings.
- In the left-hand sidebar, click on Accessibility.
- Look for the master toggle switch labeled Live Caption.
- Toggle this switch to the Off position (the switch will turn grey).
The Silent Browser
The change takes effect instantly. The floating black subtitle box will vanish from your screen. You can now scroll through social media feeds and watch videos normally; Chrome will no longer attempt to intercept the audio stream and generate text, ensuring your viewing experience remains completely unobstructed.