Apple has previewed a new accessibility feature coming later this year that can automatically generate captions for personal videos across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Vision Pro.
The feature uses an on-device speech recognition model to generate captions for videos that don’t already have them. According to the company, it will work with videos recorded on an iPhone, videos shared by friends or family, and even streamed online videos.
The Cupertino tech giant previewed the feature ahead of WWDC 2026, where the company is expected to share more details about iOS 27 and its upcoming accessibility changes next month.
Apple wants to make personal videos easier to understand without sound
Apple says the feature is designed for videos that normally don’t include captions, making spoken audio easier to follow without relying on third-party apps or services.
The captions are generated privately on-device instead of being processed in the cloud. Users will also be able to customize how captions appear through playback controls or system settings.
At launch, the feature will support English in the United States and Canada.
The automatic captioning system will work across:
- iPhone
- iPad
- Mac
- Apple TV
- Apple Vision Pro
The company hasn’t yet shown exactly how the feature will work inside apps or video players, though more details are expected during WWDC next month.
Automatic captions could be particularly useful when watching videos in noisy environments, public places, classrooms, offices, or situations where users simply prefer watching content silently. The feature may also help users better understand conversations, accents, or fast dialogue inside casual everyday clips that previously had no caption support at all.
Apple is expected to officially announce these updates during its WWDC 2026 keynote on June 8.
The update also reflects Apple’s broader push toward private, on-device Apple Intelligence features that don’t rely on external servers.
Do you see yourself using auto-generated captions for everyday videos? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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