Microphone captions are an explicit choice
Windows Live captions can caption speech captured by the computer’s microphone as well as supported programme audio. Microsoft says the microphone option starts off whenever Live captions opens. A previous session with your own speech on screen therefore does not establish that microphone input is enabled in the next one.
In the Live captions window, open Settings, then Preferences, and enable Include microphone audio when you want that input. Check the computer’s selected microphone under Windows Settings, System, Sound, in the Input area. The language-preparation guide covers initial setup separately.
Check the two inputs one at a time
Begin with programme playback paused and say a short neutral phrase toward the intended microphone. Observe whether text appears. Then stop speaking and play a brief familiar spoken passage. This comparison helps separate an input that was not enabled from a feature that is receiving programme sound.
Keep the test phrase free of personal details, and explain the check to anyone nearby whose speech could reach the microphone. You do not need a private conversation to identify the input. A successful short phrase also does not certify recognition accuracy for every voice or language.
Overlap has a documented priority
Microsoft’s FAQ says sound audio takes priority over microphone audio when both are present. During an online meeting, for example, the other participant’s speech can receive captions instead of your simultaneous speech. Disappearing own-speech text in that situation is not sufficient evidence of a broken microphone.
For a programme-and-conversation session, pause the programme when you need the room speaker’s words captioned clearly. Record whether a problem happens with the microphone alone, programme audio alone or only their overlap. That is a more useful distinction than repeatedly reinstalling the language resources.
A caption window is not a recording
Microsoft describes Live captions processing as local and says its generated captions are not saved. Keep any separate meeting recorder, screenshot or transcript application outside that statement: this article does not establish what those other tools retain. Turn off microphone inclusion when that input is no longer wanted, and recheck the choice when beginning another session.
Questions answered
Why is the microphone option off after reopening Live captions?
Microsoft documents that as the startup default. Enable the input deliberately for the new session.
Can two overlapping speakers be expected to receive separate captions?
Do not assume that. Microsoft gives programme sound priority over microphone speech when the inputs overlap.
Sources & further reading
Official references for the subjects discussed. Service terms and device software can change.