Microsoft announced today it's adding live captions and subtitles to Skype and PowerPoint, making it easier to understand what people are saying.

The captions use speech-to-text AI to record what's being said in real time during a presentation or video call. They also give you the option of changing your language settings in case you need subtitles. This feature seems especially useful for people who need a translation to their native language, or people who are hard of hearing.

Live captions and subtitles are currently live on the latest version of Skype. They work with both one-on-one and group calls. Microsoft also says it's bringing translation support for over 20 languages and dialects in the coming weeks. You can check out this Microsoft support page to learn how to turn the feature on. It's available on Android, iOS, Mac and Windows devices.

Microsoft will roll out live captions and subtitles for PowerPoint in late January 2019. Microsoft says the feature will support recognition of 12 spoken languages and display subtitles in over 60.