Captioned Calls with Confidence

Enjoy advanced call captioning at no cost if you have hearing loss that makes live captions necessary to use the phone.

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Closed Caption Phone Calls for Your Landline and Mobile

Remember when phone calls were fun? It was a way to connect with people you care about, make plans, check things off your to-do list, and get answers quickly…before hearing loss made the phone frustrating.

You can enjoy using your phone again with no-cost phone call captioning. It creates accurate live captions of your phone conversations and voice messages so you can read along on screen and be confident you’re getting every word.

Sorenson offers two options to use our caption phone service:

CaptionCall by Sorenson for captions on your home phone
Olelo by Sorenson for real-time mobile captioning on your smartphone or tablet

You can use either — or both — at no cost if you have hearing loss that makes captions necessary to use the phone.

Both CaptionCall and Olelo support English and Spanish call captioning as well as an English or Spanish user interface.

CaptionCall & Olelo Benefits and Features

CaptionCall by Sorenson

With our home phone caption service, you can read your conversations in big, clear text. CaptionCall displays instant, accurate captions on an easy-to-read screen for all your conversations. From chats with the family to doctor’s appointments, CaptionCall makes you feel confident when speaking on the phone.

See more info about CaptionCall »

Flexible Connection
You can get CaptionCall at home through your landline phone service, high-speed internet, or smartphone mobile service.

Trustworthy Captions
Trained captioning agents work with advanced voice recognition technology to ensure the accuracy of your call captioning.

Familiar Format
You already know how to use it! CaptionCall works just like a regular landline phone except you can use live caption for calls.

Customization
You have the option to adjust your CaptionCall phone to your specific hearing needs for frequency amplification and volume.

Olelo by Sorenson

For phone calls on the go, you want our Olelo caption app on your smartphone or tablet. Olelo earns top ratings as a caption app for iPhone and Android devices, and as soon as you try it you’ll know why. The app is streamlined and intuitive, but it runs on award-winning A.I. technology to give you lightning fast, accurate captions.

See more info about Olelo »

Private
Your call captions on Olelo come only from advanced automatic speech recognition software for complete call privacy.

Discreet
No one can tell you’re using Olelo. It looks like a typical cell phone call on speakerphone and works with your regular number.

Portable
Caption your phone calls wherever you are to connect on the go and follow conversations, even with background noise.

Full Context
Read captions of both sides of your conversations like a text message thread so call transcripts make more sense.

Need Help?

You can sign up for CaptionCall using our form or download Olelo and register directly through the app. Our support team is here to help you with technical support issues. If you prefer the DIY approach, get started on your own with our user guides and training videos

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have questions we haven’t answered here, check our support page or contact our excellent Customer Care team.

Does it cost anything to use the CaptionCall or Olelo by Sorenson service?

No. Telephone captioning is a no-cost ADA service the government funds to help people with hearing loss who need captioning to communicate on the phone

How is this captioned call service funded?

All captioned call companies receive compensation from the same Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) Fund through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). CaptionCall by Sorenson receives compensation from the TRS Fund by the minute for captioned calls.

Will the Olelo mobile app work with my hearing aids?

Yes, you can pair wireless hearing aids with your mobile phone to stream audio, and the Olelo by Sorenson mobile app displays captions for both sides of the conversation.

Do I need to have hearing loss to use CaptionCall or Olelo?

Yes. Only people with hearing loss who need captions to use the phone effectively may use CaptionCall and Olelo. This isn’t just our policy; it’s the law. The Federal TRS/IP CTS fund supports Sorenson’s call captioning services and only permits Deaf and hard-of-hearing users to register for service.

What is IP CTS?

Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) is a form of telecommunications relay service (TRS) that enables an individual who can speak, but who has difficulty hearing, to use a phone. They can simultaneously listen to the other person and read captions of what the other person is saying.

Why do I need to give personal information to sign up?

As part of the requirements of the IP CTS program, Sorenson must validate our users are actual people and not fictional or fraudulent sign-ups. This is the only reason we ask for your registration information, and we never sell, share, or use it for third-party marketing or any other purpose.

When I sign up for CaptionCall, is the caption phone no-cost?

If you have qualified hearing loss to use our CaptionCall service, we’ll also provide a CaptionCall phone to you at no cost.

What do I need to set up my CaptionCall phone?

As long as you have either a landline phone service, high-speed internet, or a smartphone, we can connect you with a CaptionCall phone. CaptionCall offers two free installation service options: Red Carpet Service installation with in-person installation and hands-on training or self-guided installation with virtual trainer support.

What are the qualifications to receive a CaptionCall phone?

Anyone who qualifies for the CaptionCall service will receive a CaptionCall phone to access their call captioning. To qualify for CaptionCall, you must have hearing loss that necessitates the use of captioned telephone service. You must complete an easy self-certification process and provide other mandatory registration information.

How does CaptionCall work?

CaptionCall uses the most advanced voice-recognition technology, captioning agents, and a fast transcription service to display written captions of what a caller is saying on a large, easy-to-read screen.

Can I use my current phone number for CaptionCall service?

Yes, CaptionCall works with your current home phone number. You can also keep your current provider and plan.

Can I amplify certain frequencies on my CaptionCall phone?

Yes, in addition to adjusting the volume of your calls, you can also customize the CaptionCall phone to boost frequencies where you have the greatest hearing loss. To do this, leave the handset in the cradle, touch Settings on the screen, then touch Amplification to choose your preferences. You can find more information in the user guide.

Does using CaptionCall impact my phone services?

No. CaptionCall works seamlessly with services from your provider, including call waiting, call forwarding, voicemail, and caller ID.

How many saved calls can a CaptionCall phone store?

This will depend on the length of captions per call, but don’t worry; we give you enough space for months—even years—worth of calls.

How do I update my Olelo app?

If your phone does not make automatic updates to the Olelo app, you can manually update Olelo to make sure you have all the latest features.

For iPhones and iPads

Open the AppStore on your iOS device.
Tap on your account information in the upper-right corner.
Scroll down to Upcoming Updates.
Find the Olelo app and tap Update.

For Android Phones

Open Google Play on your Android device.
Tap on your account information in the upper-right corner.
Go to Manage Apps & Device.
Go to Available Updates.
Scroll to the Olelo app and tap Upgrade.

How can I change my Caller ID for Olelo?

To make it easy for the people you’re calling to know it’s you, Olelo allows you to use your current mobile phone number as your Caller ID. To enable or disable caller ID, click on the menu in the Olelo app, and select My Caller ID.

How do I set up call forwarding so my incoming calls open in the Olelo app?

This is one of the first things we recommend you do when you start using the app. To set up call forwarding:

Open the Olelo menu options by tapping on the menu icon.
Tap Call Forwarding.
Tap Enable.
Tap Got it!
Call the pre-filled activation code.

How do I change the font size in Olelo?

When on a call, look for the two letter As in the lower-right corner of your screen. Tap the larger A to enlarge the text size, and tap the smaller A to reduce the text size.

You can also change this and the colors of the captioning in Settings under the main menu.

Why don't I see captions on my calls?

This could be due to a setting that stops transcriptions for your side of the call, so that only the person you are speaking to produces captions. Go to the Settings tab in the menu at the upper-left corner of the app, and you’ll see the option to show your captions.

How does 911 emergency calling work in the Olelo app?

*911 Calling Advisory: Calling 911 from a landline remains the most reliable method of reaching emergency response personnel.

Olelo requires our users to have registered information that complies with United States 911 regulations. To ensure your correct address is in your Olelo app, go to the menu and select 911 Location. Verify your address so that, in case of an emergency, help will know where to go.

Please also see our Emergency Calling page for more information.

Can I use Olelo to make international calls?

The app does not support making outgoing international calls, but you can receive and caption incoming international calls.

How do I delete calls from my Olelo call history?

You can delete call transcripts in the Call History tab by tapping on the trashcan icon in the upper-right corner and choosing which transcripts you would like to delete. To delete all of your call transcripts, tap the select all button (the three squares with a check mark). You can also delete transcripts by sliding the call you’d like to delete to the left in the call history tab. You cannot recover deleted transcripts.

Download Olelo by Sorenson app

You can register and self-certify from within the mobile app and make your first call within minutes

Get started with CaptionCall by Sorenson

If you need captions to use the phone because of your hearing loss, complete this form to request CaptionCall service and our caption phone at no cost. You can also reach us at (833) 691-1600.

CaptionCall and Olelo by Sorenson is available in the United States only. FEDERAL LAW PROHIBITS ANYONE BUT REGISTERED USERS WITH HEARING LOSS FROM USING INTERNET PROTOCOL (IP) CAPTIONED TELEPHONES WITH THE CAPTIONS TURNED ON. IP captioned telephone service may use a live operator. The operator generates captions of what the other party to 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. No costs are passed along to individuals who qualify for the service. The CaptionCall phone and Olelo app remains the property of Sorenson in order to provide ongoing support, service, and upgrades. Patent information:  sorenson.com/legal