Real conversations, in real-time, with accurate, easy-to-read text. That’s the promise of the many live transcription apps available in 2020.

Live transcription apps offer users the ability to read their conversations, identify speakers, and communicate easier than ever - no matter their hearing capabilities. Let’s explore some of the best current captioning apps to help those who struggle with conversations in less-than-ideal conditions.

Live Transcribe

Free.

Live Transcribe by Google is one of the most popular apps for real-time speech-to-text transcription. With Live Transcribe, those with hearing loss can quickly and reliably read what the other person in the conversation is saying, as they say it. Live Transcribe works by using automatic speech recognition technology to interpret speech, then immediately display the written text on the screen. You can then respond either verbally or by typing your response on the screen. This app can also alert you with a vibration when your name has been spoken. Live Transcribe is free but is available for Android only.

Live Caption

Free.

Live Caption is similar to Live Transcribe but instead of transcribing conversations happening live, it transcribes audio played back on your phone, such as podcasts or videos. Previous versions did not work with voice or video calls, but that is now supported by Android 11. This app offers real-time speech-to-text to make conversations easier for those who are hearing impaired. It even works with HeardThat, so you can both get rid of noise and get live captions when using that app.

AVA

Free up to 5 hours of conversation; $29/month for unlimited captioning time.

Ava is a transcription app with a particular emphasis on making meetings and online learning easier to understand, both in-person and online. While you can use Ava face-to-face in difficult hearing situations, it also works with online meeting rooms like Zoom to provide real-time text-to-voice captioning with up to 95% accuracy. Users also find it helpful when taking online classes to both visually and audibly take in information.Ava is a transcription app with a particular emphasis on making meetings and online learning easier to understand, both in-person and online. While you can use Ava face-to-face in difficult hearing situations, it also works with online meeting rooms like Zoom to provide real-time text-to-voice captioning with up to 95% accuracy. Users also find it helpful when taking online classes to both visually and audibly take in information.

Rogervoice

Free to use with other RogerVoice App users; $5.99/month for up to 1 hour of captioning time; $29.99/month unlimited captioning time.

With Rogervoice, users can read captions instantly during a phone call. This app is particularly helpful for those who struggle hearing over the phone during regular phone calls, making appointments, or attending virtual meetings. 

TextHear

Free for Android users; $0.30/minute for iOs users.

Like Rogervoice, TextHear offers voice-to-text for phone calls. Need help hearing calls on your existing landline? This app can turn any landline phone into a caption phone by connecting an adapter between the landline and the smartphone. The caller’s voice is instantly transcribed into captions on the smartphone device through the TextHear app. 

Otter.ai

Free basic version (up to 40 minutes); $8.33/month for Premium and $20/month for Teams plans.

While many voice-to-text apps focus on helping individuals hear in their social and personal situations, Otter.ai has taken on the grand task of helping improve communication in the business world. This transcribing service is designed for teams and businesses to record, caption, and review their notes and virtual meetings in real-time. With Otter.ai, you are also able to search, play, edit, organize, and share your conversations seamlessly across your team. 

The future of smartphone hearing assistance

As we can see with these captioning and assistive apps, technology is a promising avenue for those with hearing loss to engage better with their friends, family, coworkers, and even healthcare providers. 

While these transcription services give clarity through visual text, the HeardThat app gives clarity through sound. HeardThat works by separating background noise from speech through your own Bluetooth hearing device or earphones. HeardThat easily pairs with captioning apps like Live Captions to make conversations clearer than ever. 

Want to try it for yourself? Try HeardThat now, free for a limited time with our early release! Find it in the App Store (iOS) and Google Play Store (Android).