How to turn off captions and translation for students

Hi @Cozette Shackelford,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.  

You're asking how to disable captions and translation services in Microsoft Teams video assignments for students, especially important when assessing their comprehension in a language like French. As of now, Microsoft Teams does not offer a built-in setting to disable captions or translation for videos embedded in assignments.

However. here are some steps you can take to help address the issue:

1. Meeting settings (if using live sessions)

If you're using live meetings instead of pre-recorded videos:

• With a Teams Premium license, organizers can now disable copying and forwarding of live captions and transcripts.
• You can access this setting via Meeting Options > “Turn off copying and forwarding of meeting chat, live captions, and transcripts.”

2. Video hosting alternatives

If you're uploading videos:

• Consider hosting the video outside of Teams, such as on Stream or OneDrive, and disable captions there before embedding the video in the assignment.
• Avoid using platforms that auto-generate captions unless you can control those settings.

3. Screen record the video

• Use a screen recording tool to record the video without captions and upload that version. This ensures no metadata or subtitle files are attached.

4. Ask IT admin to disable live captions

• Go to Microsoft Teams Admin Center > Meeting > Meeting Policies
• Choose Global policy > under Recording and transcription, turn off Live captions.
• For your reference: Use the Teams admin center to manage live captions.

While I understand this may not be the answer you were hoping for, I want to assure you that your feedback is truly valued. As community moderators, our role is to guide users to the right resources and support channels, though we don’t have direct influence over product design decisions or access to internal development timelines.  

That’s why your input is so important. The most effective way to make your voice heard is through Microsoft’s official feedback channel. The product team actively reviews customer suggestions to identify areas for improvement and prioritize future updates. 

You can submit feedback to our product team on your behalf to request an enhancement that would allow educators to disable captions and translation features in video assignments within Microsoft Teams.

Go to: Microsoft 365 Feedback Hub → Send Feedback→ Describe your proposal in detail.

Sharing your experience through this channel is the most impactful way to advocate for a change that would benefit you and other users.   

Thank you again for your patience and for bringing this to our attention. While I can't change the product's design, please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions about its current functionality. 

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Hi @Cozette Shackelford,

I hope you are having a great day.

I'm reaching out again to follow up on your issue and check if everything has been resolved. My goal is to ensure your experience remains smooth and hassle-free. If you're still encountering any problems or have run into new challenges, please let me know which steps you're currently stuck on and happy to provide further help whenever you need it. 

If you have any further questions, feel free to tag me in your reply so I can assist you directly.

Looking forward to your update.