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Learn how to Enable and Disable Transcription in Microsoft Teams in this guide. When it comes to the plethora of Workstream Collaboration apps, Microsoft Teams used to be quite ahead of the competition. In recent times, however, it has been expanding its boundaries even further in order to maintain its relevance in the ever-evolving times. In light of the profound shift that has taken place in the entire equation concerning the manner in which we perform our work and the intense competition that exists, Microsoft Teams has consistently been bringing its A-game.
The implementation of Live Meeting Transcriptions is the most recent addition to the arsenal of features that Teams provides. There is the option to generate live transcriptions during a meeting, and it is not necessary to record the meeting in order to generate these transcriptions either. Transcribing your meetings can significantly improve the quality of your experience.
The fact that they automate meeting notes for you is not the only way in which they make your meetings more productive. On the other hand, the fact that one does not have to manually take notes is a significant advantage. Participants who are deaf or hard of hearing, who are in a noisy environment, or who have a different level of language proficiency are also less likely to be excluded from meetings as a result of these accommodations. Here are the simple steps how to Enable and Disable Transcription in Microsoft Teams.
What is Transcription in Microsoft Teams?
When a meeting is being recorded, transcriptions will be turned on automatically, but they can also be turned on manually for any meeting that is being recorded. Teams will begin drafting a transcription of the meeting audio as soon as the transcription feature is activated. This transcription will be made available to attendees once the meeting in question has concluded.
During the course of the meeting, transcription can be halted and resumed, or it can be completely turned off. Not only that, but whenever a video is uploaded to SharePoint or any other location within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, transcripts will be automatically generated and saved alongside the video.
How to Enable and Disable Transcription in Microsoft Teams

- On your phone or tablet, open Microsoft Teams.
- Find the meeting or call where you want to control whether transcription is on or off.
- Click on the three dots (…) menu at the bottom of the screen during the call or meeting.
- Choose “Turn on transcription” or “Turn off transcription” from the menu to turn transcription on or off.
- If you are asked to confirm your choice, click on the right option.
- Now, you can choose whether to have transcription on or off for the current meeting or call.
Why Enable Transcription in Microsoft Teams?
- Accessibility: People who are deaf or hard of hearing can fully participate in meetings because transcription records what is said and puts it in writing.
- Better Understanding: People who were in a meeting can look back at transcriptions to make sure they didn’t miss any important points or details.
- Language Support: Transcriptions can be made in more than one language, which makes it easier for teams or participants who speak different languages to talk to each other.
- Taking notes: Transcriptions act as automatic meeting notes, which saves participants time and effort because they don’t have to write down meeting content by hand.
- Searchability: It’s easy for users to look through transcriptions to find specific information or keywords that were talked about in meetings. This makes it easier to get information and be more productive.
- Documentation: Transcriptions are a good way to keep track of what was said in a meeting, which can be useful for legal, compliance, or documentation reasons.
- Collaboration from afar: Transcriptions help team members communicate better and make sure everyone has access to meeting materials, no matter where they are or what time zone they are in.
Benefits of Enabling Transcription for Meetings
- Enhanced Accessibility: Enabling transcription for meetings improves accessibility by providing text-based records of spoken content, making it easier for participants with hearing impairments or language barriers to follow along.
- Improved Retention: Transcriptions serve as valuable reference materials, allowing participants to review meeting discussions and key points at their own pace, leading to better retention of information.
- Searchability and Reference: Transcripts enable quick searching and referencing of specific topics, discussions, or decisions made during meetings, saving time and improving productivity.
- Documentation and Compliance: Transcriptions provide official documentation of meeting proceedings, ensuring accuracy and compliance with organizational or regulatory requirements.
- Inclusivity and Collaboration: Transcriptions promote inclusivity and collaboration by allowing all participants to contribute effectively, regardless of their communication preferences or abilities.
- Remote Collaboration: For remote or distributed teams, transcriptions facilitate collaboration by providing a detailed record of meetings that can be accessed and reviewed from anywhere at any time.
Comparing Transcription Options in Microsoft Teams
Transcription Options | Description |
---|---|
Automatic Captions | Automatically generates captions during meetings in real-time, providing accessibility for participants with hearing impairments. |
Live Transcription | Enables real-time transcription of meeting conversations, capturing spoken words and displaying them as text, enhancing comprehension for all participants. |
Manual Transcription | Allows meeting organizers to manually transcribe meeting content after the meeting has ended, providing a detailed written record for reference or sharing. |
Integrated AI Features | Utilizes AI capabilities to enhance transcription accuracy and adaptability, improving overall transcription quality and usability. |
Playback and Editing | Provides playback functionality and editing options for transcribed content, enabling users to review and refine transcripts as needed. |
Collaboration and Sharing | Facilitates collaboration by allowing users to share transcriptions with meeting participants or team members, enhancing communication and productivity. |
Questions and Answers
Take the necessary steps to ensure that you are using the appropriate account to log in to Teams. In the event that you are utilizing multiple accounts, it is imperative that you verify that you are logged in to the appropriate account that is authorized to access the recording and transcription options. 2. Determine whether the recording and transcription feature is activated in the settings of the Teams application for your organization.
However, you are probably wondering to yourself, “Is it possible to transcribe a meeting of the Teams without recording it?” In a nutshell, the answer is yes, you are able to do so. If you have a subscription to Microsoft 365 that is still active, you will have the ability to easily obtain a transcription of your meeting because it will not be recorded.
If you enable live captions in Microsoft Teams, you will be able to read the words that are spoken during meetings and calls during the free version of the software. An alert will be sent to you displaying the language that you have selected. From that point on, live captions will be displayed at the bottom of the call screen, and you will be the only person who can see them.