How to get live translation in any meeting — Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, and Webex
Your meeting platform transcribes what's said. It doesn't translate it. Here's how to get real-time translation in any call — no plugins, no bots, no IT request required.
Some platforms offer translated captions, but they disappear when the call ends. Localingo saves your live translation as searchable meeting notes — and runs alongside Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, or Webex with no plugins or bots. You'll need a browser (Chrome, Edge, or Firefox) and a free Localingo account.
Step-by-step setup
Step 1 — Join your meeting as usual
Open Zoom, Teams, Meet, or Webex and join the call exactly as you normally would. Don't change anything about how you use the platform.
Step 2 — Open Localingo in a new browser tab
In a separate browser window or tab, go to localingo.ai and sign in. You'll land on your dashboard.
Step 3 — Start a new meeting in Localingo
Click New meeting. Localingo will open a meeting room and ask you to set your translation language — this is the language you want to read captions in, regardless of what language is being spoken.
Permissions
Localingo needs two browser permissions to work. They're separate — one you grant once, one you grant at the start of every meeting.
Microphone access — granted once
The first time you open a Localingo meeting room, your browser will ask for microphone permission. This lets Localingo hear you so your voice can also be transcribed and translated for others. Grant it once and your browser remembers it.
Screen audio — granted every meeting
When you enable screen audio, your browser opens a screen sharing dialog. Select the window or screen where your meeting is running, then — this is the critical part — check Share system audio (Chrome/Edge) or Share audio (Firefox) before clicking Share.
Localingo captures the audio your speakers play, not a microphone pointed at them. This means it hears everyone in the meeting clearly, regardless of their microphone quality. The browser requires you to grant this permission fresh each time you start a session — it's a browser security requirement and can't be made permanent.
If captions aren't appearing: you likely missed the audio checkbox. Click Stop, then Start live captions again — make sure the audio option is checked before clicking Share.
Step 4 — Set your translation language
Choose the language you want captions displayed in. This can be different from the language being spoken. If your meeting is in German and you want English captions, select English here.
What you'll see during the meeting
Once audio is connected, captions start appearing within a few seconds of someone speaking. You'll see two columns — the original transcription in the speaker's language on the left, and your translation on the right. Both update in real time as the sentence develops.
90+ languages supported — change anytime during a meeting
Step 6 — Switch back to your meeting
Picture-in-Picture is on by default. When you switch back to your meeting window, Localingo automatically floats the caption panel as a small overlay that stays visible on top of any other window — no action needed.
The overlay is draggable and resizable. Most people position it in a corner below the participant video grid. You can disable PiP from the Localingo toolbar if you prefer to keep captions in the tab.
Common questions
Does anyone else in the meeting know I'm using Localingo?
No. Localingo runs entirely on your device. It listens to the audio your computer plays — it doesn't join the meeting, send any signal to the meeting platform, or appear in the participant list. To everyone else, you're just a participant.
Does it work on Mac and Windows?
Yes. Chrome and Edge support system audio sharing on both platforms. On macOS, you may need to grant screen recording permission the first time — the browser will prompt you automatically.
What if the speaker switches language mid-meeting?
Localingo detects the spoken language automatically. If someone switches from English to Spanish mid-sentence, the transcription updates accordingly, and the translation continues into your chosen language.
Is the translation saved after the meeting?
Yes. Every meeting is saved to your dashboard with the full transcript and translation. You can review past meetings, search for specific moments, and access everything from your history — even weeks later.
How accurate is the translation?
Localingo uses AI translation built for spoken conversation. It picks up on the context of what's being discussed — industry terms, cultural references, the way people actually talk in meetings — so the output reads naturally, not like it was run through a dictionary. Accuracy is high for major language pairs; less common combinations may have more variation.
Which languages are supported?
Over 90 languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Portuguese, Italian, Korean, Arabic, and many more.
Platform-specific pages
If you're looking for more detail on how Localingo works with a specific platform — including how it compares to that platform's built-in captions — see the dedicated pages:
- Zoom meeting translation — how Localingo compares to Zoom's built-in captions
- Microsoft Teams translation — real-time translation alongside Teams calls
- Google Meet translation — live captions and translation for Meet
- Webex translation — translation for Webex calls