Live Transcription without Host

[hc-chris]

Please enable the ability to turn on auto-transcription services regardless of Host.

As someone in the Deaf/Hard of Hearing community, captions have been an absolute life saver to my Zoom meeting experience. However, having to be reliant on the Host to enable the service is horrendous, especially if the Host can't make it for any reason and the meeting happens without them.

At my company we have the ability to use Live (Auto) Transcriptions, so this isn't the case of requiring someone to manually do the transcriptions.

To be clear, I am not asking about being able to save the transcriptions, and that feature could be disabled unless Host allows.

Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Slack Huddle... all already offer this feature as standard.

I simply want to be able to turn on captions (with "on by default" setting) for all zoom meetings, without asking for Host permission. This is an accessibility requirement.

[ameliaelisa]

Seconding this - accessibility shouldn't be something the host either permits or denies. It should be a base level functionality available to the user requiring it. 

[ReggieN]

Adding another vote to this.  I'm also in the Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing community, and I can't tell you how many times I haven't had access to events because the host didn't know how to turn on the live transcription. 

[Bort]

I know that Zoom has received this feedback from others with similar concerns and is looking into this. I cannot share an ETA on when this will be available, but Zoom is aware of this and evaluating how to facilitate this. 

[HCCS]

Any update on this since February?   As a cancer support non-profit, we run many different programs and having to be "host" for each one is not practical nor is it fair to the hearing impaired who need this service provided.  Any update would be appreciated. 

[hc-chris]

Following up here as well. Given that transcription services are already available at higher tiers, and the functionality is inherently already there (and already available for basically every other video conferencing client out of the box) it's pretty absurd that, especially since the start of the pandemic and a huge boost in user base, that we still haven't seen this feature implemented for more than a certain tier of paid corporate accounts.

[hc-chris]

To be clear, I mean "feature implemented for more than a certain tier of paid corporate accounts" to mean the transcription, as implemented today.

I just had a Zoom call with a client that hosted their zoom, and I couldn't get transcriptions because their host did not have access to it. And this isn't the first time that I've been SOL because I don't have a way to even ask the host, unless they've paid enough money to offer it.

[CalvinTeachable]

Hi Bort, 

Have there been any updates on this initiative? My org is getting multiple requests for this feature and we are seeing users opt for Google Meet over Zoom frequently due to this lack of accessibility. Is it being prioritized in the development pipeline? When can we expect default captioning to launch? 

[Bort]

Hi @CalvinTeachable 

Participant self-enablement of subtitles is in progress and being rolled out soon. That's all I can share right now, as I don't have a firm ETA of when rollout will actually be complete and available for users. 

[HOH]

Hallelujah!! It's about time. It's actually way past time! I am repeating myself, but the fact that the participant cannot self-enable the closed captions/live transcription is truly totally unacceptable.

[Scooterch]

Four months since you said "soon"; one year since this thread opened. Is there any news?

[BethFell]

This works on our site now. It was finally enabled in late December 2022. Participants can activate automatic captions on their own.

[HiImpactfrSmlFl]

I pay for Zoom and I can't see anyway to see transcription when I join Zoom calls that others host and invite me to. It's really annoying, as those are ones I need it for the most.

[Keiko14]

Hi Scooterch,

I don't know if any news at least not for the free version. I wonder if we can even do transcript as a replacement without the host's permission. 

[FenandoRomero]

Please enable this! It would be very useful for me and many others that are not native english speakers. As mentioned above, other tools already provide this kind of tool.

[HiImpactfrSmlFl]

Agree; it has real potential to help when we are all struggling to understand each others accents

[HOH]

Many Zoom hosts cannot figure out how to enable automated closed captions. I agree with hc-chris that automatic live -transcription should be enabled by default. This is absolutely an accessibility requirement! Please, Zoom, do it now. 

[HiImpactfrSmlFl]

Yes, should be by default

[gs2000]

Why this still hasn't been done by now?! 

[Keiko14]

Has anyone heard an update in regards to being able to turn on captions without the host's permission? Many of my client Zoom meetings are in conference rooms and it seems impractical to ask them to enable captions in every meeting. Is there an app I can download that works successfully in Zoom? I tried Verbit Live Transcription and World Translation and Captions apps offered in Zoom, but none of them worked. Can someone please assist? Greatly appreciate it! 

[hc-chris]

Earlier this week I started noticing a slight difference in how captions displayed/activated in my company Zoom calls. At least at the Enterprise level (whichever my company's plan is at), we have gained the ability to activate captions without Host approval.

That said, I was on a Zoom call that my client hosted, and I was not able to enable captions for it, so it was definitely still tied to our Enterprise account.

Promising! But still not quite there.

[BethFell]

I am on an Education enterprise account and meeting attendees still cannot start captions for themselves.  Clicking the "Live transcript" CC button simply lets me request captions, not start them.

There is a new, cryptic account setting:

Automated captions

Allow users to enable automated captions in these languages in meetings.

But no languages are listed!

[hc-chris]

As a short term (untested solution)... I found luck with Blackhole (https://existential.audio/blackhole/) and Webcaptioner (https://webcaptioner.com/)

It's necessary to note that I used this with Discord, and not Zoom, so your mileage may vary, and I don't have specific steps to use this with Zoom.

EDIT: Discord steps were produced from here: https://www.reddit.com/r/discordapp/comments/k2y555/how_to_get_closed_captions_in_discord_voice/ 

[HiImpactfrSmlFl]

Seconding, thirding this. I join lots of international calls, and we often all struggle to understand each others accents!

And I'm not even hard of hearing. Or the sound goes out a bit, or someone comes by and says hi, etc.

REALLY would like ability to read transcribing of at least past few minutes of a meeting.

[jimmyzzxhlh]

Seconding to this until this is implemented -- This is one of the key features that is missed in Zoom and available in Google Meet. I really want to turn on the caption freely, without permission from the host, and without letting other people know.