Live captions stopped working on iPhone

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Morris1938 Author

Level 1

18 points

Live captions stopped working on iPhone

I've used live captions ever since it has been offered (forget which upgrade). I checked all of the previous posts on this issue and it appears numerous people have asked the same question. But I really saw no concrete answer. Being deaf makes it imperative for the captions to work. I've talked to 3 different advisors at Apple so I know all of my settings are correct. Anyone ever get an answer regarding how to fix this?

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: live captions quit working

iPhone SE, iOS 18

Posted on Aug 14, 2025 1:13 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Alancito

Level 7

30,920 points

Aug 15, 2025 2:07 AM in response to Morris1938

Morris1938 wrote: "Yes, still has original battery. Maximum capacity = 77%"

Morris ~ A maximum capacity of 77% is not healthy and is likely the primary reason why live captions have stopped working.

Live captions demand significant processing power, but the weak, aging battery struggles to provide the necessary, consistent energy to support the hardware effectively.

Apple suggests having the battery replaced at around 80% – so have the original battery replaced and all will be well:

iPhone Battery Service

About genuine iPhone batteries

Repair Provider Verification

(Articles found by searching Apple's Knowledge Base.)

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Answer 2

Alancito

Level 7

30,920 points

Aug 14, 2025 1:55 PM in response to Morris1938

Morris ~ Which model of SE is it?...

iPhone SE (2nd generation) released in 2020

iPhone SE (3rd generation) released in 2022

Settings > General > About > Model Name

As your iPhone SE could be several years old, it's worth checking for a weak, aging battery which can cause various issues. So...

Does your iPhone SE still have its original battery?

And what's the Maximum Capacity % here?...

Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging

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Answer 3

Alancito

Level 7

30,920 points

Aug 15, 2025 12:43 AM in response to Morris1938

Morris ~ To rule out the battery as a possible cause, again...

Does your iPhone SE still have its original battery?

And what's the Maximum Capacity % here?...

Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging

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Answer 4

Morris1938 Author

Level 1

18 points

Aug 14, 2025 10:07 PM in response to Alancito

Iphone SE (1st). I never considered it could possibly be the battery. However, it worked fine until last week. None of the advisors mentioned the word "battery" to me. I called again last night hoping the 7th time could be the call with a solution. I called the Apple Accessibility department (on suggestion of one of the advisors) The advisor sincerely tried to help me. He said all of my settings were correct. We did some more troublehooting and he was surprised all of the help I've received hasn't resolved the issue. He finally said he'd have to do more research and call me back. I hope he will do so. He also mentioned that Apple has received hundreds of call regarding this same issue, so I'm not the only one. I do rely on captions when I'm speaking to someone important and I have to be 100% positive I heard correctly. I've messed up too many doctor appointments with incorrect date/time. Thank you for taking time to give me something to consider.

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Answer 5

Morris1938 Author

Level 1

18 points

Aug 15, 2025 3:04 AM in response to Alancito

I'm one step ahead of you. I went ahead and researched where I can take the phone for a new battery. Nearest Apple store is 75 miles from where I live. I can't drive due to physical reasons, and would need to arrange transportation to get to Augusta, GA.

I'm going to keep looking around for another phone that I can afford. Live on fixed income (I'm 75-years-ol).

Thanks again for your input. It's been invaluable.

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