Devices Supporting Live Captions in iOS 16

Apple introduced on-device Live Captions in iOS 16, providing real-time text transcriptions for spoken dialogue across apps, FaceTime calls, podcasts, and in-person conversations. Because the transcription process is handled entirely on-device to ensure privacy and low latency, it relies heavily on Apple's Neural Engine. Consequently, only select Apple devices equipped with compatible processors support this accessibility feature.

Supported iPhone Models

To use Live Captions in iOS 16, you need an iPhone 11 or newer. The supported models include:

  • iPhone 14 series: iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max
  • iPhone 13 series: iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max
  • iPhone 12 series: iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max
  • iPhone 11 series: iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max
  • iPhone SE: iPhone SE (2nd generation) and iPhone SE (3rd generation)

Older models running iOS 16, such as the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max, do not support Live Captions.

Supported iPad Models (iPadOS 16)

On the iPad side, the feature requires a device powered by an A12 Bionic chip or later:

  • iPad Pro: iPad Pro 11-inch (all generations) and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later)
  • iPad Air: iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
  • iPad mini: iPad mini (5th generation and later)
  • iPad: iPad (8th generation and later)

System and Language Requirements

In addition to hardware compatibility, Live Captions in iOS 16 requires:

  • Operating System: iOS 16 or iPadOS 16 or later.
  • Language Support: At its initial release in iOS 16, Live Captions was launched in beta and limited to English (United States and Canada). The primary device language must be set accordingly for the option to appear.

How to Turn On Live Captions

If your device is compatible, navigate to Settings > Accessibility > Live Captions (Beta) and toggle the feature on. Once enabled, a persistent floating control appears on screen to transcribe audio in real time.