How to save a Windows Live Captions transcript
By the Call Transcriber team (TacAssist)Updated 5 min read
Windows 11's Live Captions turns any audio on your PC into text, which is handy on calls. But when the call ends, you'll find there's nothing to save. Here's why, and how to get a real transcript instead.
You can't: Windows Live Captions has no transcript, history or export. It shows the latest lines in a caption bar, and text that scrolls away is gone. To keep a transcript of your calls, use an app that records the text as it captions, such as Call Transcriber: it separates you ("Me") from the other side ("Them"), saves every call, lets you copy lines during the call, and also runs on Windows 10.
What Live Captions does well
- It's built into Windows 11: press Win+Ctrl+L to turn it on.
- It captions any audio playing on your PC, from any app, and can include your microphone.
- It's free and quick to use when you just want to follow along.
What it can't do
- No saved transcript. There's no history, no file and no export. Close the bar or let the text scroll, and it's gone.
- No speakers. Everything appears as one stream of text, so you can't tell who said what.
- Not made for copying. There are no copy buttons or shortcuts for "what they just said".
- Windows 11 only. Windows 10 doesn't have it.
Get a transcript you can keep
A call transcription app does what Live Captions does, writing the call down as it happens, and also keeps it:
- Download Call Transcriber (Windows 10 or 11) and sign in with your email for the 30-day free trial.
- Start your call in Zoom, Teams, Meet, WhatsApp or any other app. The transcript starts by itself.
- Copy any part during the call with one click, or press Ctrl+Alt+T for the other person's last message.
- When the call ends, it's saved in Call history. Search it later, or export it as text, Markdown, JSON or SRT subtitles.
Want captions on top of your call, like Live Captions? Turn on floating captions: a see-through window with the latest lines and copy buttons that stays above your call app.
Live Captions vs Call Transcriber
| Windows Live Captions | Call Transcriber | |
|---|---|---|
| Captions while you listen | Yes | Yes, in the window or as floating captions |
| Saved transcript and history | No | Every call, searchable |
| Who said what | No | Me and Them (or a name you type) |
| Copy during the call | No | Buttons and global shortcuts |
| Export | No | TXT, Markdown, JSON, SRT |
| Windows 10 | No | Yes |
| Price | Free | $14 a year after a 30-day free trial |