Support - FAQ

ClearCaptions uses a combination of advanced speech recognition software and, in some cases, a live communications assistant to quickly provide captions of what your callers say.

The software or operator generates captions of what the other party on the call says. These captions are then sent to your phone. There is a cost for each minute of captions generated, paid from a federally-administered fund.

U.S. residents with professionally-certified hearing loss that makes it difficult to communicate on the phone.

FEDERAL LAW PROHIBITS ANYONE BUT REGISTERED USERS WITH HEARING LOSS FROM USING INTERNET PROTOCOL (IP) CAPTIONED TELEPHONES WITH THE CAPTIONS TURNED ON.

Yes, you can make emergency 911 calls from any ClearCaptions device. If you are using the ClearCaptions app on your mobile device or an internet phone connection for your home phone, there are some differences in how a call is received for the emergency services, and how they determine the location from which a 911 call has originated.

It is critical you confirm your physical location address during set up of the ClearCaptions mobile app or internet phone. This ensures that in the event of a 911 emergency, any response will be directed to your location as accurately as possible. Learn more about E911 from the FCC.

If you have any questions about your location settings call our support team at 866-868-8695.

ClearCaptions is free for all qualified users (see “What is ClearCaptions?” for details).

No. ClearCaptions home phone, services and support are always available at no-cost to qualified users. ClearCaptions does not provide mobile devices or internet services.

No, however ClearCaptions’ service is only available for those that currently reside in the united states and its territories.

Yes. ClearCaptions Mobile is the free app available for iPhone® or iPad® users. You can download the free app from Apple’s App Store. For details on downloading, installing and using the ClearCaptions Mobile app, please see the FAQ content within the “MOBILE” tab on this webpage.

ClearCaptions is made available to qualified users at no cost thanks to provisions by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) and Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1992.  You can read more about these programs and provisions on the FCC’s website at: https://www.fcc.gov/general/title-iv-ada.

Yes, you can use our home phone or on an iPhone/iPad device using the ClearCaptions Mobile app (which you can use anywhere within the United States).

You’ll need to create a ClearCaptions account and register for the free service before you can begin enjoying captioned calls. 

All you need is an active internet connection and we can provide a dedicated phone number for you to use with your ClearCaptions Internet Phone. 

Getting started is easy and we’ll help you through the process. Just call us at 866-246-7850. 

To get ClearCaptions service at home you can select from our home phone, our mobile app or both. For more information about the ClearCaptions home phone, please visit clearcaptions.com/home-phone.

ClearCaptions Mobile only supports iPhone® and iPad® devices currently (using iOS® version 12.0 or greater). For more information about the requirements, please visit clearcaptions.com/mobile-phone.

The FCC requires that anyone who uses ClearCaptions be registered with the ClearCaptions service. ClearCaptions is part of a suite of Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) funded and regulated via the FCC. The FCC requires all TRS users to register and self-certify that they are eligible to use this service.

Yes. ClearCaptions is an FCC-regulated caption provider with strict obligations for confidentiality. As soon as you disconnect your call, the captions disappear from the communications assistant station. In keeping with Federal Communication Commission (FCC) regulations governing Relay Services, no records of any call content are recorded or stored by caption communications assistants.

Rest assured that your conversations are private and secure and none will be stored anywhere unless you choose to store captioned call information on your home caption phone or mobile phone; only you can decide to do so and you control how long you’ll keep the stored call.

No. Your ClearCaptions service use will not affect these services since they are offered and enabled by your telephone service carrier.

Please call Customer Support at 866-868-8695.

No. No communication occurs between ClearCaptions and the person you are calling. In fact, the other person won’t even know you are using captioning unless YOU tell them!

ClearCaptions Customer Care specialists are available to help you from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday. For questions or support, please call 866-868-8695 or, if you prefer, you can send an email to information@clearcaptions.com.

The Speed button looks like a person running.

You can find it at the bottom portion of your screen during a call. (If the button is not visible, look for and tap Options.)  

During a call, tap Options near the bottom of your screen to see the menu. Tap the Speed button and then tap the + or – buttons to adjust how quickly captions will appear on the screen.    

There are 3 speeds to choose from – Slow, Medium and Fast. 

Your selection will be saved for future calls until you change it again. Tap the Speed or Font buttons again to make more adjustments during a call.   

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You can also adjust your captioning experience when not on a call. From the HOME screen tap the SETTINGS icon and the SETTINGS menu will open. On the SETTINGS menu find and tap the PHONE option to open the Phone Settings.  On the PHONE settings find and tap the CAPTION SETTINGS option to open the options. Then tap Caption Display. From here you can adjust caption speed, font size, presentation and screen color. 

ClearCaptions can deliver call captioning service to your home by either of these methods—internet phone or landline.

If you have internet service in your home but don’t have a phone number to make and receive in-home calls, ask us for our no-cost ClearCaptions number. All you need is the internet connection, and we can provide a dedicated phone number for you to use with your ClearCaptions Phone.

You can download a copy right now from our website. Just visit clearcaptions.com/how-to to download to your computer or mobile device for future reference.

Yes. ClearCaptions is an FCC-regulated caption provider with strict obligations for confidentiality.

As soon as you disconnect your call, the captions disappear from our software systems and any communications assistant station. In keeping with Federal Communication Commission (FCC) regulations governing Relay Services, no records of any call content are recorded or stored by ClearCaptions or our caption communications assistants.

Contact Customer Support at 866-868-8695 or email us at: support@clearcaptions.com. We’ll be happy to help you set up your phone and get your call captioning ready and working.

ClearCaptions provides Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) which are funded and regulated by the FCC. The FCC requires anyone who uses ClearCaptions to register and self-certify they are eligible to use this service.

Of course! If you have an active internet service in your home now, ClearCaptions can provide not only our in-home call captioning phone but also a no-cost dedicated phone number for making and receiving captioned calls. Just ask us when you create your ClearCaptions account.

If you have a current home phone or landline that you use, our Blue home phone will plug right in and use your existing phone number. It also won’t affect other phones you’re using in the home.

If you are using an internet phone or VoIP connection, or are considering getting rid of your landline, we do not currently support porting or transferring your phone number. Contact our team for more detailed information before you make the switch at 866-246-7850.

These terms all describe a phone technology that uses your internet connection for making and receiving phone calls, just as you would if you had a traditional “landline” phone connection.

“VoIP” stands for “Voice over Internet Protocol.” VoIP is the widely-used technology that uses your internet connection to make phone calls; the voice data between you and your callers is transmitted over the same line as your internet data. With VoIP, you don’t need the usual landline (the wall connection) to make and receive phone calls.

ClearCaptions delivers call captioning service to your home via internet phone, VoIP technology, and we will provide you with a dedicated in-home phone number if you currently don’t have one. All you need is an active internet service in your home.

If you use the ClearCaptions-provided home captioning phone solely through an active internet connection, your voicemail recently got an upgrade. You can see a list of all messages with one simple click. Just follow these simple steps: 

• From the Home screen, tap VOICEMAIL. 
• A list with all your messages will appear.  
• Select a message you would like to listen to. 
• Tap the “play button” to listen to your message. 

Click here to watch a video and see how easy it is!

We do not offer the option to run the previous Voicemail version. 

No, you do not need to record a new greeting. Your current greeting is already set up.

You can make changes to your Voicemail greeting by tapping Settings on your HOME screen. From there, select Phone and follow the prompts under Voicemail Settings.  

Have questions about the new voicemail feature? Call 866-868-8695 or email support@clearcaptions.com for more help. 

If you choose to listen to a message on your mobile app, you can play your messages as you normally would. If you listen to messages on your internet-connected home phone, then you can see a list of all messages with one single click. If you listen to or delete a message on one device, it will be reflected on the other device.  

For mobile phone devices, the ClearCaptions Mobile app is only for use on Apple iPhones® running iOS® version 12.0 or greater.

As the app becomes optimized for additional models and for the Android platform, information will be added to the clearcaptions.com website. You can also call for more information by dialing 866-246-7850.

Currently, the ClearCaptions Mobile app is for use on Apple iPad® devices only, running on iOS® version 12.0 or greater.

As the app becomes optimized for additional models and for the Android platform, information will be added to the clearcaptions.com website. You can also call for more information by dialing 866-246-7850.

Call us now at 866-868-8695. Our customer support experts are ready to help you install and enable the app, activate your ClearCaptions account, and provide you with your personalized ClearCaptions number. We’ll lead you through the entire process so you can make and receive captioned mobile calls with ease. Call us now: 866-868-8695.

Tap the ClearCaptions Mobile app on your phone or tablet device. From the dialer screen in the app, dial the number you wish to call the tap Call. You can also make mobile calls using the Contacts tab, Favorites tab, and Call History tab.

Absolutely! Start by registering with ClearCaptions then install the ClearCaptions Mobile app on your phone or tablet device, then activate your ClearCaptions number. With that, you’re ready to receive incoming mobile calls with captioning so you can easily read what your callers are saying, right on your device screen.

Have questions? Call 866-868-8695 or email support@clearcaptions.com for more help. 

For more detail about easily receiving incoming captioned calls, be sure to read our FAQ entry, “How do I forward my mobile number to my ClearCaptions number?”

The FCC requires that anyone who uses ClearCaptions be registered as a user of the ClearCaptions service and certify that they are have a level of hearing loss that makes it difficult to use the phone. Only registered users will be able to enjoy the benefit of captioned phone calls with uninterrupted service.

While you can provide your ClearCaptions number directly to friends and associates in order to receive captioning when they call your mobile phone, you can just as easily forward your existing mobile phone number to your ClearCaptions number, ensuring you get captioning for ALL of your incoming calls.

For customers who use AT&T or T-Mobile cellular service, you can forward your calls using these simple steps:

• Go to your phone’s SETTINGS area.
• Tap on “Phone.”
• Tap on “Call Forwarding” then tap “Call Forwarding” slider switch to enable.
• Tap on “Forward to” then enter your ClearCaptions number (be sure to include the area code).

For customers who use Verizon/Sprint/USCellular services, you can forward your calls using these simple steps:

• On your phone, dial *72 followed by your ClearCaptions number.
• If you want to remove the call forwarding, dial *73.

No. Even if your phone or tablet is in sleep mode or is locked, when you receive an incoming call (either from a caller who is dialing your ClearCaptions number or from a caller who is dialing your mobile phone number that you have previously forwarded to your ClearCaptions number), your device will indicate you have an incoming call. When you respond to the call, you’ll see the ClearCaptions Mobile app icon; tap it to receive the incoming call with captioning.

Unfortunately, no. You can only make and receive captioning for your mobile calls within the continental United States.

Your data/bandwidth usage is tied to how often you use your mobile device to make or receive captioned calls.

The ClearCaptions Mobile app codex uses 84kbps in bandwidth. That equates to 640kb per minute of talk time. If you used captioned mobile calling (incoming/outgoing) for 245 minutes per month, that would equal 156Mb of data per month.

The new number you have is your personalized ClearCaptions number; it enables you to make and receive captioned mobile calls at no charge to you.

To easily and effectively enable mobile call captioning on your phone, you can:

• Share your ClearCaptions number with specific individuals from whom you’d like to receive captioned calls, or…
• Forward your existing mobile phone number to your new ClearCaptions number, ensuring all incoming calls you receive will be captioned.

To learn more about forwarding your mobile phone number to your new ClearCaptions number, see the FAQ entry, “How do I forward my mobile number to my ClearCaptions number?”

If ever you want help, just call our Customer Experience Team at 866-868-8695.

That’s the best news: the ClearCaptions Mobile app, which provides you call captioning when you make or receive mobile device calls, is completely FREE to you when you qualify for the service.

Qualifications for free call captioning only requires you have a level of hearing loss that makes it difficult for you to use a phone, and you have a mobile carrier plan for your mobile device.

You can keep your ClearCaptions number to use for captioned in-home internet phone or mobile device calls as long as you remain a qualified user and have an active ClearCaptions account.

As a certified IP CTS (Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service) provider, ClearCaptions is required to ensure all registered users are properly qualified for the service.

ClearCaptions does reserve the right to disable and reclaim any ClearCaptions number if there is evidence of fraud, waste, or abuse of the service, as directed and enforced by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

If up to two (2) months of time elapses with no use of a ClearCaptions number, ClearCaptions reserves the right to disable, reclaim, and reassign a number for use by another qualified individual.

Don’t worry–if you need to use your ClearCaptions service after such a lapse, just call us at 866-868-8695 to have a new number assigned to you (though we likely will not be able to reactivate your previous ClearCaptions number for you).

If you use the ClearCaptions Phone, you can find your ClearCaptions number using the phone’s Settings screens; here’s how:

1. Tap Contacts from the Home screen.
2. Your number will be displayed near the top as “My Number.”

If you have the ClearCaptions Mobile app installed and active on your phone or tablet, you can easily retrieve your ClearCaptions number:

1. Open the ClearCaptions Mobile app on your mobile device.
2. Go to Contacts.
3. Find your ClearCaptions number displayed just below the Search bar as “My Number.”

You can request a new ClearCaptions number by calling our Customer Experience Team at 866-868-8695, or you make your request via email to support@clearcaptions.com.

When you make or receive a mobile call that utilizes your ClearCaptions number—giving you captioning for what the other person on the call says to you—you will quickly and accurately be provided the captions of what your caller says. The captions you see are presented to you in “near real-time” meaning there will be a slight delay of no more than a few seconds from when your caller speaks and when the captions for what they’ve said are displayed on your mobile device screen.

No, as soon as you disconnect your captioned mobile call, the captions you saw are immediately removed from the caption communication assistant’s station. In adhering to the strict regulations put forth by the FCC, no records of any captioned call content can be recorded or stored on any device or by any method (e.g. the Cloud) beyond your personal mobile device (phone or tablet). Your conversations are safe, private, and protected.

Open the ClearCaptions Mobile app, then tap where you see “Contacts.” Tap the “+” sign in the top right-hand corner. Type in the new Contact’s First Name and Last Name, then enter the phone number for the contact. When finished, tap “Done” to save the new Contact.

Open the ClearCaptions Mobile app and tap “Contacts.” From the list of your Contacts that are displayed, tap on the Contact you wish to call.

Alternately, you can access you mobile phone’s Contacts screen and select a Contact to call from that view.

Open the ClearCaptions Mobile app, then tap where you see “Call Log.” From the list of past calls, tap the letter “i” to the right-hand side of an entry you want to review. Now tap “View Captions” to review the captions from that call. If you wish to delete the saved captions, just tap “Delete.”

Open the ClearCaptions Mobile app, then tap where you see “Call Log.” From the list of past calls, tap the letter “i” to the right-hand side of an entry you want to review. Now tap “View Captions” to review the captions from that call.

If the ClearCaptions Mobile app becomes unresponsive on your device, press and hold the power button on the phone for five seconds to initiate the power-off cycle. On the device screen, then, drag your finger on the Power switch to the “Off” position. After your device has turned off, press the power button again to restart the device.

If the app seems unresponsive to complete your calls, check to be sure your device’s microphone, Contacts, and Notifications are enabled (you would have normally done this during the app install although it’s possible you might have changed one or more of these necessary settings since the time you completed the install).

If you want assistance checking these settings, call the ClearCaptions Customer Experience Team at 866-868-8695. We’re always ready to help you.

If you’re unable to make calls with the ClearCaptions Mobile app due to lack of active internet connection, it’s possible that:

• You are temporarily in a no-service zone, geographically
• You have “airplane mode” activated on you phone (prevents call activity)
• You have Wi-Fi only activated on your tablet but not cellular connectivity
• You do not have an active cellular service at the moment

If you would like assistance troubleshooting the problem from an active phone, call us at 866-868-8695.

Press and hold the ClearCaptions Mobile icon on your phone or tablet; a small “X” will be displayed in the upper left-hand corner of the icon. Tap the “X” to confirm removal of the app.

Usually, you’ll have a voicemail mailbox provided by your cellular service provider. When you get your free ClearCaptions number, you’ll also get a voicemail mailbox that captures messages that are left for you on that number. Only the messages that you received to your ClearCaptions number will include captions along with the voice messages that are left for you.

Yes. From your Favorites tab, touch and hold the “pancake stack” icon that appears on the right-hand side of each Favorite in your listing. While holding that selected Favorite, drag your finger to move the Favorite up or down your stack. Lift your finger to release the Favorite in the new position.

You can tag as few or as many of your Contacts as you like. Favorites help you access a filtered list of those Contacts that you’ll call the most; that’s why they’re your favorites. While you could effectively flag every Contact as a Favorite, the best use of Favorites is to help you develop that fast-access, filtered list.

From the Favorites tab, tap on “Edit” then tap on the red minus sign that appears on a Favorite in your list. The Favorite will be deleted from your list but the Contact will still remain in your Contact list.

ClearCaptions’ Customer Experience Team is available to help you with any aspect of the ClearCaptions services. Just call us at 866-868-8695 or email support@clearcaptions.com.

You can make calls as you normally would on all devices that share a ClearCaptions number, like your internet phone at home and your mobile iPhone® or iPad®. Call logs and voicemail will appear on all devices. However, caption transcripts are only saved on the device the call was answered on and contacts will need to be added to each device separately.  

All devices that share a ClearCaptions Number will ring when you receive a call. You can choose to answer a call on either your home phone or mobile app. You can also make a call on any device while the other is in use. If two devices are being used for a call at the same time and a call comes through, it will direct the caller to leave a voicemail.  

If you choose to listen to a message on your mobile app, you can play your messages as you normally would. If you listen to messages on your internet-connected home phone, then you can see a list of all messages with one single click. If you listen to or delete a message on one device, it will be reflected on the other device.  

The new number you have is your personalized ClearCaptions number; it enables you to make and receive captioned mobile calls at no charge to you.

To easily and effectively enable mobile call captioning on your phone, you can:

• Share your ClearCaptions number with specific individuals from whom you’d like to receive captioned calls, or…
• Forward your existing mobile phone number to your new ClearCaptions number, ensuring all incoming calls you receive will be captioned.

To learn more about forwarding your mobile phone number to your new ClearCaptions number, see the FAQ entry, “How do I forward my mobile number to my ClearCaptions number?”

If ever you want help, just call our Customer Experience Team at 866-868-8695.

You can keep your ClearCaptions number to use for captioned in-home internet phone or mobile device calls as long as you remain a qualified user and have an active ClearCaptions account.

As a certified IP CTS (Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service) provider, ClearCaptions is required to ensure all registered users are properly qualified for the service.

ClearCaptions does reserve the right to disable and reclaim any ClearCaptions number if there is evidence of fraud, waste, or abuse of the service, as directed and enforced by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

If up to two (2) months of time elapses with no use of a ClearCaptions number, ClearCaptions reserves the right to disable, reclaim, and reassign a number for use by another qualified individual.

Don’t worry–if you need to use your ClearCaptions service after such a lapse, just call us at 866-868-8695 to have a new number assigned to you (though we likely will not be able to reactivate your previous ClearCaptions number for you).

If you use the ClearCaptions Phone, you can find your ClearCaptions number using the phone’s Settings screens; here’s how:

1. Tap Contacts from the Home screen.
2. Your number will be displayed near the top as “My Number.”

If you have the ClearCaptions Mobile app installed and active on your phone or tablet, you can easily retrieve your ClearCaptions number:

1. Open the ClearCaptions Mobile app on your mobile device.
2. Go to Contacts.
3. Find your ClearCaptions number displayed just below the Search bar as “My Number.”

You can request a new ClearCaptions number by calling our Customer Experience Team at 866-868-8695, or you make your request via email to support@clearcaptions.com.

Usually, you’ll have a voicemail mailbox provided by your cellular service provider. When you get your free ClearCaptions number, you’ll also get a voicemail mailbox that captures messages that are left for you on that number. Only the messages that you received to your ClearCaptions number will include captions along with the voice messages that are left for you.

You can make calls as you normally would on all devices that share a ClearCaptions number, like your internet phone at home and your mobile iPhone® or iPad®. Call logs and voicemail will appear on all devices. However, caption transcripts are only saved on the device the call was answered on and contacts will need to be added to each device separately.  

All devices that share a ClearCaptions Number will ring when you receive a call. You can choose to answer a call on either your home phone or mobile app. You can also make a call on any device while the other is in use. If two devices are being used for a call at the same time and a call comes through, it will direct the caller to leave a voicemail.  

ClearCaptions has made numerous recent updates to ensure speed and reliability with our captioning service. Captioned calls are typically connected within 3 seconds of the start of a call.

Once your call is connected, automated speech recognition software, or in some cases, a captioner is assigned to your conversation. Occasionally at the beginning of the call, it takes a moment for the captions to appear on your screen. This is normal.

Yes. ClearCaptions is an FCC-regulated caption provider with strict obligations for confidentiality. Your conversation is completely private. Read more in our Privacy Policy.

The Speed button will adjust how quickly captions appear on the screen during a call.   

You can now customize the Speed of your captions in the Options menu during a call. We have also made updates to make your conversation easier to read.  

With these custom caption settings, you can SEE the whole conversation exactly the way you like. 

The Speed button looks like a person running.

You can find it at the bottom portion of your screen during a call. (If the button is not visible, look for and tap Options.)  

During a call, tap Options near the bottom of your screen to see the menu. Tap the Speed button and then tap the + or – buttons to adjust how quickly captions will appear on the screen.    

There are 3 speeds to choose from – Slow, Medium and Fast. 

Your selection will be saved for future calls until you change it again. Tap the Speed or Font buttons again to make more adjustments during a call.   

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You can also adjust your captioning experience when not on a call. From the HOME screen tap the SETTINGS icon and the SETTINGS menu will open. On the SETTINGS menu find and tap the PHONE option to open the Phone Settings.  On the PHONE settings find and tap the CAPTION SETTINGS option to open the options. Then tap Caption Display. From here you can adjust caption speed, font size, presentation and screen color. 

1. While on a call, tap the ClearCaptions icon in the bottom of the screen to turn captions OFF.
2. Tap the button again to turn captions ON.

The FCC requires we validate the information you have already provided when you signed up for your ClearCaptions account. You won’t need to provide this information again. These details include: 

• • Your full legal name 
  • Your residential address 
  • Your telephone number 
  • The last four digits of your Social Security Number 
  • Your date of birth 
  • A copy of the self-certification of eligibility for IP CTS and the date it was obtained

ClearCaptions is required to validate your information in order to confirm your identity. The information will be securely submitted to the FCC’s Telecommunications Relay Service User Registration Database (“TRS-URD”), which is managed by the FCC’s TRS Fund Administrator, to ensure proper administration of the TRS program.

Rest assured, we use only secure systems and protected transmission to keep your data safe. We transmit your data to the FCC’s TRS-URD only with your permission. We will never sell your data.