K-12 Schools, Colleges & Universities
Zip Captions for Education and Classrooms
Free browser-based live captioning and on-device translation for K-12 classrooms, universities, Chromebooks, emerging readers, and deaf or hard-of-hearing students.
Practical Use Cases
Why Schools and Universities Use Zip Captions
Practical classroom tools built by working educators to support Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
Works on Chromebooks with Zero IT Install
Zip Captions runs inside Chrome, Safari, and Edge. Teachers and students can open it right away without software installers, admin permissions, or student email accounts.
Supports Diverse Learners in One Room
Helps students who are deaf or hard of hearing, students with auditory processing challenges or ADHD, emerging readers, and newcomers learning a second language.
Personal Desk View via Broadcast Mode
Teachers can share a room code so students read captions quietly on their own Chromebook or tablet at their desk, rather than relying only on a front projector.
Lexend Font and High-Contrast Themes
Each student can switch to the Lexend font to reduce visual crowding, increase text size, or use dark mode to reduce glare from classroom lights.
Floating Captions Over Google Slides and Docs
Using Picture-in-Picture mode or the free Zip Panel extension, teachers can keep a resizable caption bar floating on top of slides, videos, or coding windows.
Free On-Device Translation and Study Notes
Students using Google Chrome can translate live captions locally on their device at zero cost, and save plain text (.txt) transcripts at the end of class for study guides.
Simple Workflow
How Classroom Setup Works
Get running before the bell rings in three simple steps.
Connect a Teacher Microphone
Use a wireless clip-on lapel mic or USB headset connected to your laptop so your voice stays clear as you move around the classroom.
Open Zip Captions and Float Over Slides
Go to zipcaptions.app, start captioning, and pop the window into Picture-in-Picture mode over your lesson slides or smartboard.
Share Your Broadcast Code with Students
Write your room code on our printable classroom poster so students can follow along on their own Chromebooks and save class notes.
Free Printable Resources
Posters, Signs, Cards, and Checklists
Download ready-to-print PDF files (with a built-in QR code for zipcaptions.app) or use the customizer below to add your own room name and broadcast code before printing.
Classroom Broadcast Poster
Post near your whiteboard or smartboard with your classroom broadcast room code and QR code so students can connect from their desks.
Student Desk Reference Card
A desk reference sheet showing students how to join the caption feed, turn on the Lexend reading font, float captions over Docs, and save study notes.
Parent-Teacher Conference Table Sign
Put on your desk during parent-teacher nights to let families know that live captions and on-device translation in Chrome are ready to use.
1-Page Teacher Setup Checklist
A practical 1-page checklist covering microphone tips, floating captions over Google Slides, student broadcast rooms, and exporting lesson transcripts.
Zip Captions Available Here Sign
A clean 1-page sign for any door, reception counter, or bulletin board showing that live captions are available on screen and on personal mobile devices.
Customize a Poster with Your Organization Name and Broadcast Code
Pick a sign template, type in your room or organization name and your Zip Captions broadcast room code, and click Print Custom Sign.
Room 204 Science Class
Join Our Classroom Live Captions
Follow today’s lesson in real time right on your Chromebook, laptop, or tablet.
How to Follow Live Captions:
- 1Open Google Chrome or your browser and go to https://zipcaptions.app.
- 2Enter our Classroom Broadcast Room Code shown above.
- 3Adjust your text size, switch to the Lexend font, or turn on live translation.
YouTube Video Guides
See Zip Captions in Action
Short step-by-step demonstrations from the official Zip Captions YouTube channel.
Broadcast Live Captions to Student Devices
See how teachers share a broadcast code so students can read live captions on their own Chromebooks, tablets, or phones.
Free Real-Time Translation in Google Chrome
Learn how students and families can translate live captions locally inside Google Chrome using On-Device AI at zero cost.
Save Class Transcripts for Study Notes
How to export plain text (.txt), SRT, or VTT transcripts at the end of a lesson for study guides and summaries.
What Educators and Specialists Say
"For those with hearing loss, it empowers them. This fosters autonomy and independence, so you do not have to ask for help all the time."
Tracey Green
Teacher of the Deaf, Montreal Oral School for the Deaf
Read Feature in Inspirations Newspaper
"A really powerful way to live caption your class that supports all learners in your classroom: from ELL students, our emerging readers, and our hearing-impaired students."
"ZipCaptions is a free captioning tool that could be really helpful for students with language-based learning disabilities, auditory processing disabilities, or students who are hard of hearing."
Dr. Brian Friedlander
Assistive Technology Specialist & Associate Professor of Education
Read More Educator Stories
Helpful Extensions, Guides, and Services for This Sector
Zip Panel Chrome Extension
Keep a persistent caption bar at the bottom of Google Slides and Chrome tabs.
EquiBrowse Reading Extension
Adapt web pages with dyslexia-friendly fonts, spacing, and reading tools.
Google for Education Training & School PD
Book practical hands-on workshops for your school or district staff.
Practical Answers
Frequently Asked Questions: Education & Schools
Do students need to create accounts or enter email addresses to use Zip Captions?
No. Standard browser live captioning and Broadcast viewing require zero student accounts, zero passwords, and zero personal data collection.
Are classroom discussions saved on external servers?
No. Speech is processed transiently and the running transcript is held locally inside the browser memory. Closing or refreshing the browser tab clears the transcript immediately.
Can a teacher show captions over Google Slides or PowerPoint?
Yes. You can click the Picture-in-Picture button inside Zip Captions to pop out an always-on-top floating caption bar, or use our free Zip Panel Chrome extension.
How does live translation work for multilingual students?
In Google Chrome on desktop, laptops, or Chromebooks, users can enable free real-time translation powered by Chrome On-Device AI so captions are translated locally on their own screen.
Ready to Use Zip Captions in Your Space?
Launch Zip Captions for free right in your web browser, or get in touch with our team if you have questions about your setup.