The new app provides AI-powered, always-on captions to improve accessibility for people with hearing loss.
InnoCaption has released InnoCaption Video, a new application that provides real-time, AI-powered captioning for video calls. The app is designed to improve communication accessibility for individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing. Funded by the FCC through the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) fund, the service is available at no cost to eligible users in the US.
Key Features
The app features always-on captions, eliminating the need to toggle settings. Users can adjust the caption screen and text size during a call to meet their needs. Both call participants can view the captions, which helps confirm accuracy.
For easier listening, users can stream the call audio to personal hearing devices such as hearing aids or cochlear implants.
InnoCaption Video is available for both iOS and Android devices and allows users to call anyone, regardless of their phone’s operating system. For contacts who do not have the app, users can send a one-time web link to join a call through a browser.
“Everything we build at InnoCaption comes from listening to our community,” says Paul Lee, InnoCaption’s chief operating officer, in a release. “Our users love making video calls with friends and family because the visuals are so helpful, but we’ve heard about issues with the captions on other video-calling platforms, as well as with cross-platform constraints. With InnoCaption Video, we’re addressing those pain points and helping our users stay connected in a whole new way.”
Statements from Early Users
The company released statements from early users.
“As someone who’s been profoundly deaf their whole life, I’ve always had a bit of anxiety around calls,” says Abigail Erb, an author and influencer. “InnoCaption Video has changed that for me. It makes video calls feel so easy—the real-time captions are everything and I genuinely haven’t found anything that works this well!”
Swiss skier Robin Gillon, who was born severely deaf, says, “Video calls are a big part of my life since I really need to see people’s faces when I talk to them. Having captions that stay on screen instead of disappearing is a real help, and it makes it easier for me to follow along and have smoother conversations day-to-day.”
InnoCaption Video is now available for download on iOS and Android. Individuals without hearing loss can also download and use the app to communicate with registered InnoCaption users.
Featured image: InnoCaption Video brings real-time captions to video calls. Photo: InnoCaption
