Translated Captions in Zoom, Teams and Meet — and When to Use a Browser Tool
Updated 2026-10-18
Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet all offer some form of live translated captions. They are convenient when available, but they are usually tied to the meeting host’s plan and settings. A personal browser tool works in any meeting you can hear, without asking the host.
Built-in translated captions: what to expect
- Plan requirements: translated captions are typically part of paid or premium tiers of Zoom, Teams and Google Workspace. Exact plans change — check each vendor’s current documentation.
- Host controls: the meeting host or organisation admin often has to enable captions or translation for everyone.
- Language pairs: each platform supports its own list of spoken and caption languages, which may not include the one you need.
- One platform at a time: each feature only works inside its own app.
When a personal browser tool is simpler
- You are a guest in someone else’s meeting and cannot change its settings.
- Your language pair is not supported by the meeting platform.
- You switch between platforms — Zoom today, Teams tomorrow, a webinar or livestream next.
- You want your own saved transcript and translation afterwards.
How it works with LiveToka
- If the meeting runs in a browser tab (Google Meet, Zoom or Teams on the web), choose Tab or screen audio in LiveToka and share that tab with audio.
- For desktop meeting apps, send the meeting audio to a virtual audio device (VB-CABLE on Windows, BlackHole on Mac) and select it as the microphone.
- Choose the spoken language and your target language, then press Start. Nobody else in the meeting sees LiveToka.
💡 If you plan to keep transcripts of other people’s speech, let participants know. Recording and transcription rules differ between countries and organisations.
New accounts get 10 free minutes. Sign in with Google — no credit card required.
Related guides
- How to Get Live Captions on Any Video, Stream or Call
- Capture Computer Audio in Your Browser with VB-CABLE on Windows
- Route Mac Audio into Your Browser with BlackHole
Use cases
Frequently asked questions
Does LiveToka join the meeting as a bot?
No. It runs in your browser and listens to the audio on your device only.
Can everyone in the meeting see the translation?
Only if you share your screen with the LiveToka tab or its full-screen caption view.