Samsung is expanding its Galaxy AI suite with a major new feature called Voice Captioning in One UI 8. This innovative tool goes far beyond traditional Live Captions, empowering Galaxy device users with real-time audio transcriptions and intelligent enhancements:
Key Features of Voice Captioning
- Real-Time Transcription: Converts spoken audio from videos, live conversations, or calls into written captions instantly.
- Multilingual Translation: Translates the transcribed speech into multiple languages as you watch or listen, making global content more accessible—comparable to Pixel’s Live Translate capabilities.
- Summarization: Summarizes the core content of media or spoken conversations, helping users quickly grasp main ideas.
- Saveable Content: Lets users save both the captioned text and related audio for future reference or sharing.
How Is It Different from Previous Features?
Unlike the standard Live Captions that only transcribe audio in the source language, Voice Captioning can understand multiple languages, translate them in real time, and provide concise summaries of spoken content. This is a leap forward for accessibility and everyday convenience on Galaxy devices.
The Catch: Availability & Early Access
Currently, Voice Captioning is officially available only in China. However, tech-savvy Galaxy phone users running One UI 8 or One UI 7 can attempt to access the feature early by downloading an APK file. Here are the steps and caveats:
- Manual Installation Required: Users need to download and install the APK for Voice Captioning, as it isn’t yet released globally through regular software updates.
- Quick Settings Integration: After installing, the feature can be added to the Quick Settings panel with necessary permissions, and users can select supported languages.
- Stability Issues: Early reports from users (including instances on Galaxy Z Fold 7) indicate that the app may stop unexpectedly or not function correctly, especially on beta versions of One UI 8. Some users have had limited success on stable versions of One UI 8 and One UI 7.
- Proceed With Caution: As the feature is not yet globally supported, functionality may vary significantly depending on device and software version.
Should You Try It?
If you’re interested in testing cutting-edge features and are comfortable sideloading APKs, you can try the early version—but be prepared for bugs and incomplete functionality. For most users, waiting for Samsung’s official global release (with full support and stability) may be the better choice.
Voice Captioning is a significant step forward for Galaxy AI, bringing translation and summarization capabilities to everyday audio interactions. Its official global rollout is highly anticipated, set to make Samsung devices even smarter and more accessible.