macOS · Research guidance. Instructions are based on publisher guidance; a UK IPTV account was not tested on this platform.
Confirm that the Mac is eligible
Apple documents Live Captions on Macs with Apple silicon, with availability depending on language and region. Check the current Mac model and the feature’s availability before assuming a missing menu is a player fault. These generated captions are a macOS accessibility feature, separate from subtitles supplied by a particular programme or website.
Enable the documented feature
Open System Settings, Accessibility, Live Captions and use the available control. Check the selected language and appearance choices. If the control is unavailable on the computer, do not install an unrelated programme claiming to unlock the same Apple feature. Record the model, system version and language so an eligibility question can be answered accurately.
Select computer audio
Apple gives the caption window a choice between Computer Audio and Microphone. Choose Computer Audio for a video playing on the Mac. Microphone input is appropriate for speech around the computer, which is a different source. If captions seem to describe a nearby conversation instead of the programme, inspect this choice before adjusting the video or increasing its volume.
Use a clear spoken sample
Start a short section with understandable dialogue and watch the caption window. Position it where the text remains readable without hiding essential controls. Compare what you hear with what appears. Automatic transcription can make mistakes, so an unexpected name or sentence is not by itself evidence that the video has the wrong soundtrack.
Keep the privacy claim specific
Apple describes Live Captions processing on the Mac. That does not tell you what the streaming service, browser or another recording application collects. When asking for help, state that computer audio was selected and whether other clear speech produced captions. Avoid sending a recording that includes private messages or another person’s conversation merely to demonstrate the source setting.
Questions, answered
Why might captions describe the room?
The input may be set to Microphone rather than Computer Audio.
Is the feature available on every Mac?
Apple limits it to supported Macs with Apple silicon and supported languages and regions.