Microsoft Teams gains support for closed captions in PowerPoint Live presentations
Meeting attendees can now turn closed captions on or off to fit their preference.
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What you need to know
PowerPoint Live just gained a new feature that makes presentations more accessible. It’s now possible for Microsoft Teams meeting attendees to turn closed captions on or off for any video that includes captions. The functionality should help those that are deaf, hard of hearing, or that are in an environment that makes it difficult to hear.
People creating PowerPoint presentations can add a closed caption file to make the slides more accessible. The option is available for PowerPoint for Windows and macOS.
Microsoft outlines how to add closed captions to a PowerPoint presentation:
When a person shares a PowerPoint presentation through Microsoft Teams that has a closed caption file, meeting attendees will see a button to switch captions on or off.
Microsoft also lists the steps to turn captions on when using PowerPoint Live in a Teams meeting:
“Closed captions make PowerPoint presentations more accessible and benefit everyone who watches videos, especially those watching videos in their non-native language, people learning to read, and individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing,” said Microsoft in itsTech Community post.
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Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
