How do I turn on closed captioning in Zoom?

There are two parts to using Live Transcription/Closed Captioning:

 1. Host - Enable "Auto-Transcription" after you've started your meeting (must complete for each meeting you want to have live auto-transcription available).

2. Participant - Click the "Live Transcript" button from the in-meeting Zoom toolbar and select one of the options from the pop-up menu (must complete for each meeting that has auto-transcription enabled).

Enable and Disable Auto-Transcription (In a Meeting)

Live-transcription (closed captioning) is not automatically enabled for all of your meetings by default, you must enable them in order for your participants to have the ability to enable/view them.

1. To enable live-transcription, first start your meeting

2. Click on the "CC Live Transcript" icon in your Zoom meeting controls.

Note: If you cannot see this button, click on the "More" icon.

3. From the pop-up panel, click the “Enable Auto-Transcription” button.

Enable/View Live Transcription (Closed Captions) as a Participant

Participants may see a "Live Transcript is available" message above the "CC Live Transcript" button when a Zoom host has enabled live transcriptions.

Once the host enables live transcription, participants have the option to choose how they want to view the transcription by clicking the "CC Live Transcript" button. As a participant, click on the "CC" (Closed captioning) button to view your options.

Click one of the following:

Show Subtitles - Displays captioning on the bottom of the video. You can also select Hide Subtitle once subtitles are selected to hide them.

View Full Transcript - Opens a panel/pop-up and displays captions in real-time with both the speaker's name and time stamp. In that pop-up, participants will also see a button to save the transcript (this button might not be available if the host has disabled this functionality). If enabled, click Save Transcript. A copy of the transcript as a .txt file will be downloaded to your machine.

Note: Transcripts save up to the moment when you click Save Transcript. If you click Save Transcript multiple times throughout the event, it will overwrite/update the existing file. We recommend clicking Save Transcript just before the meeting ends to ensure you have the transcript from the entire meeting. There is no option to auto-save these transcripts.

Subtitle Settings - Opens a window where you can adjust the font size of both the subtitles (captions).

1. Click the "CC Live Transcript" button

2. Click one of the following:

• Show Subtitles - Displays captioning on the bottom of the video. You can also select Hide Subtitle once subtitles are selected to hide them.
• View Full Transcript - Opens a panel/pop-up and displays captions in real-time with both the speaker's name and time stamp. In that pop-up, participants will also see a button to save the transcript (this button might not be available if the host has disabled this functionality). If enabled, click Save Transcript. A copy of the transcript as a .txt file will be downloaded to your machine.

Note: Transcripts save up to the moment when you click Save Transcript. If you click Save Transcript multiple times throughout the event, it will overwrite/update the existing file. We recommend clicking Save Transcript just before the meeting ends to ensure you have the transcript from the entire meeting. There is no option to auto-save these transcripts.

• Subtitle Settings - Opens a window where you can adjust the font size of both the subtitles (captions).

Important Additional Information

• Hosts are required to enable the "Closed Captioning" and "Enable live transcription service to show transcript on the side panel in-meeting" settings within "Settings" on the Zoom website in order to have the ability to enable/disable live transcription during your meetings.
• If a host enables live transcription (closed captioning) during a meeting, they do not automatically appear for the participants. Participants must click the "CC Live Transcript" button and select one of the options to enable/view them.
• Live transcription does not work in breakout rooms, only within the main session.
• If recording your meeting, the CC live transcript (closed captions) will not be shown in your recordings. You can request captions in your My Media (via media.oregonstate.edu or Canvas) once the recording has processed.

Best Practices for Using Auto Live Transcription

• Consider using a headset that has a microphone built-in, it will clear up the quality of your audio for the live transcription.
• Listen to the room you are in and consider during down/off anything that makes a considerable amount of background noise.
• Speak slowly, it will help the system capture the words you are saying
• If there are any loud disruptions (i.e. fire truck/train driving by) pause and hold your thoughts until the noise passes.