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TikTok & Instagram Reels Captions and Translation on Android
Live Subtitles puts a floating AI caption overlay over TikTok and Instagram Reels on your Android phone — the creator's words, transcribed and translated, as you scroll. No account to connect, nothing the creator or anyone else sees.
Why this helps on TikTok and Reels
Short-form video moves fast and is often watched with sound off, or in a language you don't speak. TikTok's and Instagram's own auto-captions are same-language only, don't cover every clip, and can lag behind fast speech. Live Subtitles transcribes and translates the audio itself, in a floating overlay, independent of what the platform generated for that video.
How it works
A floating overlay over the app
Once the overlay permission is granted, captions sit on top of whatever's playing. Scroll from one clip to the next and the overlay keeps up — stop on a video and it catches up, move on and it resets to the new audio.
System Audio mode
TikTok and Reels play as ordinary media audio on the phone, so System Audio mode reads it directly through Android's screen/audio capture API — the same way it reads any other video or stream. Android shows a one-time capture-consent prompt each session; that's a standard Android requirement, not something Live Subtitles adds.
Dual subtitles, 50+ languages
See the original spoken line and your chosen translation together, rather than one caption track in one language. Useful for following creators you can't otherwise understand, and for picking up a language from short, high-repetition content.
Setup: a few steps, once
- Install Live Subtitles from Google Play. Open it and try it free — no account required.
- Grant "Display over other apps." The app opens this Android settings screen for you the first time; turn the toggle on and go back.
- Pick System Audio as the source, and set your spoken and translation languages.
- Open TikTok or Instagram and scroll. Captions and translation appear live over each clip.
Real-world use cases
Following creators in a language you're learning
Beauty, cooking, fitness, and comedy creators post in every language — dual subtitles let you watch Korean, Japanese, Spanish, or Portuguese Reels and TikToks with both the original audio and a translation, instead of switching to subtitled re-uploads.
Scrolling trends and sounds from abroad
Trending audio, jokes, and commentary often come from a specific country's internet culture. Captions and translation make the joke land instead of getting lost.
Watching TikTok Live and Instagram Live as a viewer
Same overlay, same System Audio mode — a live broadcast you're watching is still media audio the phone is playing. (This is separate from joining a call or voice chat, which Android handles differently — see below.)
Pricing and free minutes
Live Subtitles is free to install, and every new install gets free minutes you can use immediately — no credit card needed. After that, you can subscribe or buy one-time minute packs directly in the app; current pricing and plans are shown there and on the Google Play listing. The same account also covers the Windows, macOS, and iOS versions.
Get it on Google Play
Also available for Windows and iOS / macOS.
FAQ
Does it translate TikTok and Reels into my language?
Yes — dual subtitles show the original line and your translation together, 50+ languages, live as you scroll.
Does it work on TikTok Live and Instagram Live too?
As a viewer, yes — that's still media playback. It can't read a two-way call or voice chat, which Android routes separately.
What if captions don't appear for a particular clip?
Rare, since this is ordinary media audio. If it happens, the app offers a one-tap switch to Microphone mode.
Does it work with the apps, or only in a browser?
Both — System Audio mode reads whatever the phone is playing either way.
Do I need an internet connection?
Yes — speech recognition and translation run in the cloud.
Can I try it for free?
Yes. New installs get free minutes, no credit card required.