Translated captions only you see

Listen Translation shows the other side’s speech as captions in your language during an active KONWA translation session. The captions appear in KONWA, not the meeting’s shared captions or chat. Your own translated voice can still be sent into the call through the virtual microphone.

Updated October 9, 2026 · macOS and Windows

On this page
  1. What “only you see” means
  2. KONWA captions or the meeting app’s captions?
  3. System requirements for incoming captions
  4. Set up Listen Translation
  5. If translated captions do not appear
  6. Questions about private translated captions
  7. Related setup guides
  8. Official feature references
The existing website demonstration shows the other side’s speech as translated captions and your speech translated in the opposite direction. This is a product illustration.

What “only you see” means

ActionWhat the other side can receive
Read captions in KONWAKONWA does not publish them to meeting chat or shared captions
Share a screen containing KONWAOther participants can see the visible KONWA window
Speak while sending the translated microphoneOther participants can hear your translated speech

“Only you see” describes where captions are displayed, not offline processing or invisible use. Translation requires internet access. Read the privacy policy for audio processing details.

KONWA captions or the meeting app’s captions?

If the meeting app’s translated captions are available and meet your needs, start there. Teams uses Premium/Copilot eligibility; Zoom requires eligible translated-caption access and automated captions; Meet lists eligible Workspace editions. Each feature has its own language and administrator settings.

KONWA is useful when you want incoming captions alongside your outgoing voice-translation session, across the desktop apps you use. It listens to one selected app at a time. It is not a standalone captions-only mode, a shared meeting transcript or an automatic meeting-summary tool.

System requirements for incoming captions

  • Apple silicon Mac with macOS 14.2 or later, or Windows x64 with Windows 10 version 2004 or later, including Windows 11.
  • An active KONWA translation session, internet access and available translation time.
  • One selected app playing the speech you want to caption; macOS system-audio recording permission.
  • Headphones and any permissions required by your organization. Outgoing translated speech also needs the bundled virtual microphone selected in the call app.

The macOS 14 requirement for outgoing voice translation alone is not sufficient for Listen Translation. Listen needs macOS 14.2 or later.

Set up Listen Translation

Start a KONWA translation session

Install and sign in to KONWA, choose your speaking language and one target language, then start translation. Incoming captions run in the reverse direction: if you speak English and send Spanish, Spanish replies appear as English captions.

Choose the app under Listen

Select Teams, Zoom or Discord when that is where the other side’s audio plays. For Google Meet, select the browser. Only one app can be selected; browser audio is not isolated to one tab.

Allow system audio on Mac and test

On macOS, allow KONWA to record system audio. If previously denied, check System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording. Ask the other person to say a short sentence and check the translated caption. Use headphones.

If translated captions do not appear

No Listen control or no captions

Check the operating-system requirement, that the translation session is active and that Listen selects the app actually playing the other side’s speech. On Mac, check system-audio recording permission.

Unrelated audio appears in the captions

KONWA captures the selected app. Stop other audio in that app; for a browser, stop playback in other tabs.

You want the captions hidden during screen sharing

Share a window that does not contain KONWA, and check what you are sharing. The captions are visible content on your screen; KONWA does not conceal a window that you share.

Questions about private translated captions

Can others see the captions?

KONWA does not send them to shared meeting captions or chat. They can see them if you share a screen containing KONWA.

Can I use only incoming captions without a translation session?

No. Listen Translation runs inside an active KONWA translation session; there is no independent captions-only mode.

Does Listen Translation use extra minutes?

It is included in every plan. Using it alongside outgoing translation does not count the same session time twice.

Does KONWA read their translations aloud?

No. The incoming result is text on your screen. Your own translated speech is the outgoing voice path.

Is this entirely offline or on-device translation?

No. It requires network processing. The display being on your screen does not mean the audio is processed entirely on your computer; see the privacy policy.

Can I try KONWA for free?

Registration includes 10 minutes to try it. Continued use requires available translation time; see Pricing. A free account in the calling app does not make KONWA permanently free.

Use the same translated microphone with Teams, Zoom, Google Meet or Discord. For persistent audio problems, see Troubleshooting.

Official feature references

Native feature details checked on October 9, 2026. Availability depends on the provider’s current plan, app, language and administrator settings; check the linked documentation for changes.

Try it before your next call

Set up the virtual microphone and make a short test call before using it in a meeting.