Google Chrome rolls out real-time captions for all users
Google Chrome has expanded the availability of its Live Captions feature to anybody using a Chrome browser, according to a report by XDA Developers.
Previously, this functionality was only available on Google Pixel devices, but it is now confirmed to work on many non-Pixel smartphones.
The tool provides automated captions in real-time for audio playing on your device, as well as videos.
It also works for phone calls and other media sources such as podcasts.
As this functionality rolls out for more Android smartphones, it has also been included in the latest update for the Chrome desktop browser – Chrome 89.
To enable Live Captions on Chrome, users must navigate to Settings > Advanced > Accessibility and toggle the Live Caption option.
Once enabled, speech recognition files will be downloaded by Google Chrome. Captions will then begin appearing in a small pop-up window at the bottom of videos on YouTube, Netflix, and other services.
The functionality currently only supports English transcription, but support for additional languages is expected to roll out soon.
Chrome user profiles
Google has also brought a number of other changes to Chrome in recent weeks, including the ability to create and switch between different user profiles.
These profiles help to differentiate the Chrome user experience for different users in the same household who share the same computer.
Chrome profiles can be accessed across a range of devices, provided the browser’s sync feature is enabled.
This moves the selected theme, your new reading list, your bookmarks, and your saved passwords across to Chrome on a different device.
User profiles are currently rolling out on the desktop version of Chrome to all public users.