The Live Captions aren’t just restricted to iPhone users either, but can be turned on in the Settings menus of iPad and Mac devices. Devices will automatically detect and attribute different speech to each person on the call, using your friends’ already-saved contact information. The best part - for both deaf users and active iPhone users trying to stay connected to a multitude of social connections - is that the captions account for multiple speakers and sounds.

In its iOS 16 accessibility preview, Apple described the new Live Captions hearing feature as a tool for the deaf and hard of hearing community to better navigate their devices, calls, video conferencing and social media apps with device-only, live generation of text designed to protect the privacy and safety of the speakers’ conversations. But the company trails behind other brands and devices who already offer accessible captioning directly in-device, including the caption and real-time text-to-speech capabilities of Google Pixel phones announced earlier this year.

It’s a great addition to the multitude of accessibility features on Apple devices, which include customizable adjustments across vision, mobility, and even cognitive needs. The captions appear at the top of the screen while audio is playing in real time, and users can also customize the captions’ font size to better accommodate their needs. The new option lets users easily turn on automatic captioning in their Settings menu, which will apply to any audio played within the device, from phone calls, to FaceTime sessions, to videos.

Apple is launching a new suite of accessibility features in the soon-to-be-unveiled iOS 16, and (finally) adding a Live Captions feature for all audio content across devices.

Apple mac facetime