Assign a Manual Captioner in Zoom

Quick Links: | Prerequisites | Instructions | Troubleshooting |

Assigning a manual captioner in Zoom helps make meetings accessible when automated captions aren’t appropriate or when a live human captioner is required. As the host, you can designate a participant to type captions, type them yourself, or connect a third-party captioning service with an API token. This guide walks you through assigning a participant to caption the meeting.

Prerequisites

• You are the Zoom meeting host or co-host
• The meeting is running in the Zoom desktop app
• Manual captioning is allowed in your Zoom account/meeting settings

Step-by-Step Instructions

To assign a participant to type captions, do the following:

1. From the meeting toolbar, select More.
2. Select Captions.
3. Select Set up manual captioner.
   
4. Turn Enable manual captioner on.
5. Select Assign a participant to type. The Participants panel will open.
   
6. From Participants, select More (three dots) next to the person’s name, then select Assign to type closed caption.
   
7. Let the participant know they can begin typing captions using the Closed Caption window.

Troubleshooting

• Don’t see Captions or Set up manual captioner? Ensure manual captioning is enabled in your Zoom settings and that you are host or co-host.
• Can’t assign a captioner? The participant must be in the meeting. If you promoted them to co-host, you can still assign them to type.