OBS Captions Not Working? 7 Fixes (2026)
Last updated: March 20, 2026
Quick Answer
OBS captions stop working for a few common reasons: the Google Speech API key has expired, the wrong audio source is selected, the OBS plugin needs updating, or your mic isn't set as the default recording device. Most fixes take under 2 minutes. For a no-plugin alternative, StreamTranslate works as a browser source URL.
No GPU. No download. No configuration.
StreamTranslate runs in the cloud — paste one URL into OBS and go live. Works on any laptop or PC. Unlike local AI tools, there's nothing to install or configure.
Why OBS Captions Stop Working
If OBS captions are not working, the most common causes are: Windows Speech Recognition is disabled, the wrong microphone is selected, or the Twitch CC system is not supported on mobile. StreamTranslate bypasses all of these with a direct browser source overlay.
- Google API key expired or over quota — the free tier has limits
- Wrong audio source selected in the captions plugin settings
- Plugin out of date — older versions break with OBS Studio updates
- Default microphone changed — Windows audio routing issues
- Firewall blocking the API connection
Fix 1: Check Your Audio Source
Open OBS Studio
Go to Tools → Captions (or your caption plugin settings).
Verify the audio source
Make sure it's set to your actual microphone, not 'Desktop Audio' or a virtual cable.
Test your mic in Windows
Open Sound Settings → Input and confirm your mic is active and picking up audio.
✅ Tip: If your mic shows up in Windows but not in OBS, right-click your mic in Windows Sound → Properties → set as Default Device.
Fix 2: Update the OBS Captions Plugin
The OBS captions plugin (by ratwithacompiler) updates frequently. An outdated version will fail silently after OBS Studio updates.
Go to GitHub
Visit github.com/ratwithacompiler/OBS-captions-plugin and download the latest release.
Replace the old plugin files
Copy the new .dll files into your OBS plugins folder (usually C:\Program Files\obs-studio\obs-plugins\64bit\).
Restart OBS Studio
Launch OBS again and reopen the captions settings.
⚠️ Note: After an OBS Studio major version update, always check if your plugins need updates — they often do.
Fix 3: Check Google Speech API Quota
The Google Speech Recognition API has a free tier with monthly limits. If you stream frequently, you may have hit the quota.
Signs you've hit the quota: captions worked before but suddenly stopped, no error message shown in OBS, plugin shows as 'connected' but produces no text.
Go to Google Cloud Console
console.cloud.google.com → APIs & Services → Speech-to-Text → Quotas
Check your usage
If you're at or near the monthly limit, captions will stop working until the quota resets.
✅ Tip: StreamTranslate is an alternative that doesn't require a Google API key — it uses Deepgram nova-2 for transcription and delivers captions via OBS browser source.
Fix 4: Firewall or Antivirus Blocking the Connection
Some antivirus software or Windows Firewall rules block OBS from making outbound API connections.
Open Windows Defender Firewall
Go to Allow an app through Windows Defender Firewall.
Find OBS Studio in the list
Make sure both Private and Public are checked.
Try disabling antivirus temporarily
If captions work with AV disabled, add OBS as an exception.
Fix 5: Use LocalVocal Instead (No API Key)
LocalVocal is an OBS plugin that runs AI transcription locally — no Google API key, no quota limits. It requires a dedicated GPU and a model download (~1-3GB), but once set up it works offline.
Download from the OBS Forum: obsproject.com/forum/resources/localvocal-local-live-captions-translation-on-the-go.1769/
⚠️ Note: LocalVocal requires a GPU. If you're on a laptop without a dedicated graphics card, it will run slowly or not at all.
Fix 6: Switch to StreamTranslate (No Plugin, No API Key)
If you're done fighting with plugins, StreamTranslate is a browser-source-based alternative. No plugin install, no Google API key, no GPU required.
Go to streamtranslate.live/control
Create a room, select your speaking language.
Copy the overlay URL
Add it to OBS as a Browser Source (1920x1080).
Captions appear automatically
Under 2 seconds of latency, works on any machine.
✅ Tip: StreamTranslate also adds live translation into 10+ languages — which the OBS captions plugin cannot do.
Fix 7: Reinstall OBS Studio
If nothing else works, a corrupted OBS installation can cause plugins to fail silently. Uninstall OBS completely (including deleting the AppData/Roaming/obs-studio folder), download the latest version from obsproject.com, and reinstall. Then reinstall your caption plugin from scratch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my OBS captions not working?
The most common causes are: wrong audio source selected in the caption plugin, outdated plugin version, expired or over-quota Google API key, or a firewall blocking the API connection. Check each of these in order.
Does the OBS captions plugin require a Google API key?
The ratwithacompiler OBS captions plugin uses Google Speech Recognition, which requires a Google Cloud API key. LocalVocal is an alternative that works offline without an API key. StreamTranslate is another alternative that works as a browser source URL — no plugin or API key required.
Is there an OBS captions option that doesn't need a GPU?
Yes. StreamTranslate works as an OBS browser source URL — no plugin, no GPU, no API key. It runs in the cloud and delivers live captions (and translation) to your stream in under 2 seconds.
StreamTranslate Team
Published by the StreamTranslate team. We build real-time live stream translation tools for Twitch, Kick, and YouTube, X, and TikTok streamers.
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