Live Translated Captions for Google Meet

You're mid-presentation on Google Meet when a participant from Japan unmutes to ask a question, and you realize no one in the room understands what they just said. Seagull captures every word spoken during your Google Meet call and displays live translated captions as a floating overlay, so language barriers disappear in real time.

The Problem with Google Meet's Built-In Captions

Google Meet has automatic captions, but they only work in English and a handful of other languages, and they vanish from your screen if you switch focus to take notes or check a document. When your meeting includes international participants or attendees who are deaf or hard of hearing, those native captions aren't enough. You need captions that stay visible, that cover more than one language, and that keep pace with the conversation without lag.

The real friction point is accessibility across language lines. A multilingual team cannot rely on participants to translate on the fly, and waiting for manual translation kills meeting momentum. Built-in solutions force you to choose between watching the speaker and reading captions, creating a clunky experience that excludes rather than includes. You need a caption system that works independently of Google Meet's limitations.

Seagull's Floating Caption Layer for Google Meet

Seagull sits on your desktop and captures system audio from Google Meet, then instantly translates spoken words into captions that float on top of your screen as a persistent overlay. Unlike Google Meet's native captions, Seagull's captions stay visible no matter which window you click or what you're doing, and they support 60 plus languages with low latency so the text keeps up with real speech. You never toggle between apps or lose the thread of conversation because captions are always there.

The setup requires no plugins, browser extensions, or fiddling with Google Meet settings. Seagull runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux, capturing audio from any app on your desktop, so you can use it for Google Meet on any browser or platform. The floating subtitle design means captions appear exactly where you need them without blocking your view of the speaker's face or shared screen content. Real-time translation happens locally, keeping latency low and your data private.

Accessibility and Inclusion Become Automatic

When captions are always present and always accurate across languages, accessibility stops being a special feature and becomes the default. Deaf and hard of hearing participants can follow the meeting in real time. Non-native English speakers can read what's being said while they listen, reducing cognitive load and improving comprehension. International teams move faster because no one has to ask for clarification or repeat themselves.

Seagull also includes Conversation Mode for face-to-face translation, so if you need two-way dialogue with someone who speaks a different language, you can switch modes and both sides of the conversation get captions. This turns Google Meet from a broadcast medium into a truly collaborative space where language becomes a non-issue. Your meetings become more inclusive, more productive, and more fair to everyone on the call.

How to Get Started