Twinsub
Bilingual subtitles for meetings: any meeting app
Following half of a foreign-language meeting is common, and the usual fix is to wait for the meeting app's own translated captions, which typically need the host or your account to be on a particular plan. Twinsub's live subtitles do not hang off the meeting app: whatever sound the meeting plays through your computer, they show on your own screen as a floating caption, translation and original together.
Which meetings it suits
- Online meetings, available now: Zoom, Teams, Webex, Google Meet and similar, as long as the sound comes out of this Mac.
- In-person meetings and face-to-face talk, from 1.1: the sound does not pass through the computer, so the microphone has to be the audio source. That ships with 1.1; the current version does not have it.
- What it does not do: it does not speak the translation aloud (no voice interpreting), does not write minutes, and does not separate speakers within the computer sound.
How to use it
- Turn on live subtitles before the meetingThe first time, the speech model downloads once; macOS asks for your permission and may offer to download a translation language pack.
- Choose the audio sourcePick “all computer sound”, or just the meeting app, so other apps' alert sounds do not end up in the subtitles.
- Choose the target languageThe source language is detected automatically; you choose the target.
- Meet as usualA floating caption appears on screen, translation and original together. Turn live subtitles off when the meeting ends.
Compared with each meeting app's own translated captions
Each meeting app has its own translation feature, with different conditions. The table gives only the conditions the official pages state, verified 2026-10-11; plans and prices change often, so check the official pages.
| Meeting app | Conditions stated on the official page | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Zoom | Translated captions: accounts on Workplace Business Plus and above or Enterprise plans, or with a translated-captions add-on assigned to the user; automatic captions must be enabled first | Zoom Help Center |
| Teams | Live translated captions: available to attendees when the organizer has Teams Premium or Microsoft 365 Copilot; if only some attendees have a licence, only they see the “Translate to” option | Microsoft Support |
| Google Meet | Translated captions: paid tiers such as Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus; personal free accounts are not in the list | Meet Help |
These features are convenient inside their own meetings; if you already have the plan, use them. Here is where Twinsub differs.
How Twinsub's live subtitles are different
- Nobody has to switch it on: it is on your own Mac and you turn it on yourself. No host or admin has to enable anything, and it does not depend on the meeting app's plan.
- Any meeting app: it recognizes the sound your computer plays, not one vendor's meetings, so using several apps in turn is the same routine.
- Translation and original together: for a word you do not catch, you can look at the original.
- Processed on your Mac: recognition and translation both run on your Mac, and meeting audio is not uploaded.
Its own limits, stated up front:
- It has its own allowance: the free version gives 10 minutes per day of live subtitles, and the one-time purchase removes the limit, with no subscription. A meeting is usually longer than the free allowance.
- It needs a Mac with macOS 26 or later, Apple silicon; the available language pairs depend on what Apple's on-device translation supports.
- Machine recognition and translation make mistakes, it does not separate speakers within the computer sound, and it does not speak the translation.
Privacy: subtitles show only on your own screen
- Only on your screen: the subtitle window is a floating window on your own screen. It is not sent into the meeting and nothing about the meeting app is changed.
- No recording: meeting audio is used on your Mac only for recognition and translation, and is neither saved nor uploaded.
- Not saved by default: subtitle text is not kept by default. From 1.1 you can choose, after the meeting, to save it as a text file in a location you pick.
- Processed on your Mac: the app's anonymous usage statistics contain no subtitle text or file names; see the Privacy Policy.
Other people speak in meetings. Before you use it, follow the rules of your organization, the meeting and your region; if you plan to save the text, tell the other participants first.
FAQ
Does the host have to turn it on, or does my meeting app need a paid plan?
No. Twinsub's live subtitles are an app on your own Mac that you turn on yourself. They do not depend on the meeting app's plan, and no host or admin needs to enable anything. It has its own allowance: the free version gives 10 minutes per day of live subtitles, and the one-time purchase removes the limit.
Which meeting apps does it work with?
It is not limited to any. It recognizes the sound your Mac plays, so Zoom, Teams, Webex, Google Meet in a browser and similar apps all work as long as the meeting audio comes out of this computer. You can choose “all computer sound” or just the one meeting app.
Where do the subtitles appear? Do they show up in the meeting?
The subtitles are a floating window on your own screen. They are not sent into the meeting and nothing about the meeting app is changed. If you share your whole screen, the shared picture may include this floating window, so check before sharing, or share a single window instead.
Does it record audio? Does it save anything?
It does not record. Meeting audio is used on your Mac only for recognition and translation, and is neither saved nor uploaded. Subtitle text is not saved by default; from 1.1 you can choose, after the meeting, to save that session's subtitles as a text file in a location you pick.
Does it work for in-person meetings and face-to-face conversations?
From 1.1, yes. In those settings the sound does not pass through the computer, so the microphone has to be the audio source. Version 1.1 will offer “Microphone” and “Computer sound + microphone”. The current version has no microphone source.
Is the free version enough for one meeting?
The free version gives 10 minutes per day of live subtitles, which is good for trying it out. A meeting is usually longer, so for subtitles from start to finish you need the one-time purchase (no subscription; videos and live subtitles both unlimited).
Can it tell who is speaking?
No, and it does not do voiceprint recognition. From 1.1, when computer sound and microphone are both on, the microphone line is labeled “Me”, but several people inside the computer sound are not separated.
Are recognition and translation accurate?
Machine recognition and translation make mistakes, especially with heavy accents, people talking over each other, specialist terms and poor audio. Treat it as an aid for when you cannot follow, and for important numbers, names and decisions rely on confirmation in the meeting.
What computer do I need?
A Mac with macOS 26 or later, Apple silicon. Translation uses the on-device translation built into macOS; after a language pack is downloaded once, it works offline, and the available language pairs depend on what Apple's on-device translation supports.
Updated 2026-10-11. Back to the Twinsub home page