Windows Live Captions is an accessibility feature available on Windows 11, similar to closed captions in Windows 10. It provides real-time on-screen captions for spoken content, such as audio from applications, websites, and microphones.
Live captions also have a built-in profanity filter that censors explicit words. When enabled, it replaces profanity with asterisks. This is useful when you’re in a highly formal environment, such as conferences or schools. However, there are times when you may want to disable the profanity filter, and that’s exactly what this guide will help you with.
How to enable or disable the profanity filter on Windows 11
Whether you’re aiming for a full and accurate transcription of an ongoing conversation or a customized caption for accessibility, turning the live caption on or off on Windows 11 allows users to maximize the feature based on their needs.
📌 Recommended deployment strategies:
| Click to Choose a Method | 💻 Best for Individual Users | 💻💻💻 Best for Enterprises |
| Method 1: Settings App | ✓ | |
| Method 2: Registry Editor | ✓ | |
| Method 3: PowerShell | ✓ | |
| Method 4: Using a .reg file | ✓ |
Method 1: Enable or Disable via Settings App (GUI)
The most accessible way of configuring the profanity filter on Windows 11 is via the Settings app.
📌 Use Cases: End users, quick personal setup
📌 Prerequisites:
- Windows 11 version 22H2 and later
- Live Captions must already be enabled
To configure the profanity filter, follow these steps:
- Open Settings > Accessibility > Captions
- Click Live captions to configure advanced options
- Toggle Filter profanity in live captions:
- On = Mask explicit words with asterisks
- Off = Show all spoken words, including profanity
The setting applies immediately and affects all apps that use Live Captions.
Method 2: Configure via Registry Editor
⚠️ Important: Before making any changes to your Windows Registry, make sure to back up your registry.
📌 Use Case: Advanced user customization
📌 Prerequisites:
- Windows 11 version 22H2 and later
- Live Captions must already be enabled
- Administrator privileges
- This method also requires elevation and applies per user
To manage the profanity filter in Windows 11 with Registry Editor:
- Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor
- Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Accessibility\LiveCaptions
- Create or modify a DWORD (32-bit) value
- If you’re creating a DWORD (32-bit) key, use the name: FilterProfanity
- To enable profanity filtering, use 1 (default value)
- To disable profanity filtering, use 0
- Close Registry Editor and restart Live Captions if running
Method 3: PowerShell Script for Automation
PowerShell is a good option for enterprises that want bulk deployment capabilities and automation.
📌 Use Cases: Ideal for deploying accessibility configurations via script or login policies, enterprise
📌 Prerequisites:
- Windows 11 version 22H2 and later
- Live Captions must already be enabled
- Administrator privileges
(A) To enable profanity filtering
Use this command:
New-Item -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Accessibility\LiveCaptions" -Force
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Accessibility\LiveCaptions" `
-Name "FilterProfanity" -Value 1
(B) To disable profanity filtering
Use this command:
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Accessibility\LiveCaptions" `
-Name "FilterProfanity" -Value 0
⚠️ Important: When using this method, a restart is necessary for changes to be applied. Once you restart, Live Captions changes immediately apply.
Method 4: Configuring live captions via .reg files
The final method uses .reg files and is a good alternative for the PowerShell method.
📌Prerequisites:
- Windows 11 version 22H2 and later
- Live Captions must already be enabled
- Administrator privileges
(A) To enable the profanity filter
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Accessibility\LiveCaptions]
"FilterProfanity"=dword:00000001
(B) To disable the profanity filter
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Accessibility\LiveCaptions]
"FilterProfanity"=dword:00000000
Save the file as .reg and double-click to apply per user profile.
Additional considerations when switching the live captions profanity filter on or off
Here are some considerations when configuring the profanity filter:
Settings only apply per user
The profanity filter setting is stored in HKCU and does not apply globally. This means that you may need to perform the configuration repeatedly on several devices, especially if you are only configuring via the Settings application.
Lack of GPO setting
There are no Group Policies for the current setting. If you’re in a managed environment, it’s recommended to use the Registry method or PowerShell.
Scope of the live captions
Live captions work with system-wide audio in Windows 11, including third-party apps and browser videos. Disabling the profanity filter affects all audio, not just a specific application.
Offline Speech Support
When you disable the profanity filter, you’ll need to ensure that the live captions feature is available for offline use so that you can still have a full transcription of audio when you’re offline.
To do so, make sure that the speech recognition language is downloaded in Settings > Time & Language > Speech for offline use.
Personalize your accessibility experience by configuring the live captions feature in Windows 11
Managing the profanity filter in Windows 11 Live Captions helps tailor the accessibility experience based on environment and user needs. Whether you’re ensuring classroom appropriateness or capturing full transcription for documentation, you have flexible options.
Use the Settings app for quick adjustments, the Registry Editor for deeper control, or PowerShell/.reg scripts for enterprise-level deployment. Regardless of your method, you can confidently support diverse accessibility and compliance scenarios.
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