You can turn on subtitles in Google Meet in two clicks — but those built-in subtitles only show the language being spoken. If you want subtitles in another language, so the people in your meeting who don't speak the source language can still follow along, you need to add a translation bot. Here's how to do both, and which one you actually need.
Google Meet's built-in subtitles (same language)
Google Meet calls these "captions," and they're free on every plan:
- In a meeting, click the three-dot menu (or CC button).
- Choose Turn on captions and pick the spoken language.
That's it — live subtitles appear at the bottom of the screen. But they're a transcript: if the meeting is in Japanese, the subtitles are in Japanese. Useful for accessibility and noisy rooms; not helpful if you needed those subtitles in English.
(Google has been adding a translated-captions option on some paid Workspace tiers, limited by plan and language pair. If it covers your exact languages, it's worth a look.)
Subtitles in another language (translated)
For subtitles where each person reads the meeting in their own language — the source speaker untouched — add Sageio to the call:
- Add
bot@sageio.netto your Google Meet calendar invite, the same way you'd add a guest. It joins automatically when the meeting starts. - Each participant chooses the language they want subtitles in. Everyone speaks naturally; everyone else reads it translated, live, in about two seconds.
- After the meeting, you get a searchable transcript and an AI summary within about five minutes, shared at the host's discretion.
No extension, no desktop app, no plugin — the whole setup takes about 30 seconds.
Which one do you need?
- Same-language subtitles (accessibility, clarity, a noisy café): Google Meet's built-in captions are perfect and free.
- Different-language subtitles (a meeting where people don't share a fluent language): you need translation. Sageio gives each person subtitles in the language they choose, into 20+ languages — and it treats Asian languages like Traditional Chinese, Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Thai as first-class, where generic tools tend to slip.
(Today this works on Google Meet; Zoom and Microsoft Teams support is coming soon.)
Is it private?
Worth checking for anything that joins your meetings: Sageio doesn't use your meeting content to train AI models, and its AI vendors are contractually restricted from doing so. Audio is processed in memory and discarded — only the text transcript and summary are kept, encrypted, in the region you choose (US, EU, or APAC).
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn on subtitles in Google Meet? In a meeting, open the three-dot menu (or the CC button), choose "Turn on captions," and select the spoken language. These show the language being spoken, not a translation.
How do I get subtitles in a different language?
Add bot@sageio.net to the calendar invite. Each participant then picks the language they want subtitles in, and reads the conversation translated in real time — no extension or install.
How fast are the translated subtitles? About two seconds, fast enough to keep a live conversation flowing.
What does it cost to try? Every plan starts with a free 60-minute trial, no credit card required. After that, Professional is $49/month and Teams is $99 per seat/month; Enterprise is custom.
If anyone in your meetings would read along more comfortably in another language, add the bot to your next call and let each person pick their own subtitles.