Live Captions

Everything under System Settings › Accessibility › Live Captions, as Nix options. Each one is named after the control you'd click, and set under programs.nix-plist-manager.options in home-manager.

7 options 2 verified against System Settings

Background color

System Settings › Accessibility › Live Captions › Background color

home-manager · per user Not verified

applications.systemSettings.accessibility.liveCaptions.backgroundColor = "Default";

"Default", or a color as { red; green; blue; alpha; }, each from 0 to 1 "unset" puts back macOS's default.

Where it's stored and what runs

• com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewBackgroundColor

For Default:

/usr/bin/defaults delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewBackgroundColor 2>/dev/null || true
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewBackgroundColor 2>/dev/null || true

For unset:

/usr/bin/defaults delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewBackgroundColor 2>/dev/null || true
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewBackgroundColor 2>/dev/null || true

For { alpha = 1.0; blue = 0.0; green = 0.0; red = 1.0; }:

/usr/bin/defaults write com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewBackgroundColor -dict alpha -float 1.000000 blue -float 0.000000 green -float 0.000000 red -float 1.000000 || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewBackgroundColor -dict alpha -float 1.000000 blue -float 0.000000 green -float 0.000000 red -float 1.000000' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewBackgroundColor 2>/dev/null || true

Font color

System Settings › Accessibility › Live Captions › Font color

home-manager · per user Not verified

applications.systemSettings.accessibility.liveCaptions.fontColor = "Default";

"Default", or a color as { red; green; blue; alpha; }, each from 0 to 1 "unset" puts back macOS's default.

Where it's stored and what runs

• com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFontColor

For Default:

/usr/bin/defaults delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFontColor 2>/dev/null || true
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFontColor 2>/dev/null || true

For unset:

/usr/bin/defaults delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFontColor 2>/dev/null || true
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFontColor 2>/dev/null || true

For { alpha = 1.0; blue = 0.0; green = 0.0; red = 1.0; }:

/usr/bin/defaults write com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFontColor -dict alpha -float 1.000000 blue -float 0.000000 green -float 0.000000 red -float 1.000000 || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFontColor -dict alpha -float 1.000000 blue -float 0.000000 green -float 0.000000 red -float 1.000000' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFontColor 2>/dev/null || true

Font family

System Settings › Accessibility › Live Captions › Font family

home-manager · per user Not verified

"Default" or the name of a font, e.g. "Helvetica".

applications.systemSettings.accessibility.liveCaptions.fontFamily = "Default";

Text "unset" puts back macOS's default.

Where it's stored and what runs

• com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFont

For Default:

/usr/bin/defaults delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFont 2>/dev/null || true
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFont 2>/dev/null || true

For Helvetica:

/usr/bin/defaults write com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFont -dict fontName -string Helvetica fontSize -float 32.000000 || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFont -dict fontName -string Helvetica fontSize -float 32.000000' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFont 2>/dev/null || true

For unset:

/usr/bin/defaults delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFont 2>/dev/null || true
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFont 2>/dev/null || true

Font size

System Settings › Accessibility › Live Captions › Font size

home-manager · per user Not verified

applications.systemSettings.accessibility.liveCaptions.fontSize = 12.0;

A number from 12 to 120 "unset" puts back macOS's default.

Where it's stored and what runs

• com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFontSize

For 12.0:

/usr/bin/defaults write com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFontSize -float 12.000000 || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFontSize -float 12.000000' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFontSize 2>/dev/null || true

For 120.0:

/usr/bin/defaults write com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFontSize -float 120.000000 || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFontSize -float 120.000000' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFontSize 2>/dev/null || true

For unset:

/usr/bin/defaults delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFontSize 2>/dev/null || true
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionTranscriptionViewFontSize 2>/dev/null || true

Language

System Settings › Accessibility › Live Captions › Language

home-manager · per user Not verified

A locale such as "en-US" or "en-GB".

applications.systemSettings.accessibility.liveCaptions.language = "…";

Text "unset" puts back macOS's default.

Where it's stored and what runs

• com.apple.Accessibility kAXSLiveCaptionsSelectedLocationPreference

For unset:

/usr/bin/defaults delete com.apple.Accessibility kAXSLiveCaptionsSelectedLocationPreference 2>/dev/null || true
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete com.apple.Accessibility kAXSLiveCaptionsSelectedLocationPreference 2>/dev/null || true

For …:

/usr/bin/defaults write com.apple.Accessibility kAXSLiveCaptionsSelectedLocationPreference -string '…' || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write com.apple.Accessibility kAXSLiveCaptionsSelectedLocationPreference -string '\''…'\''' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete com.apple.Accessibility kAXSLiveCaptionsSelectedLocationPreference 2>/dev/null || true

Live Captions

System Settings › Accessibility › Live Captions › Live Captions

home-manager · per user ✓ Verified on macOS 27

applications.systemSettings.accessibility.liveCaptions.liveCaptions = true;

true or false "unset" puts back macOS's default.

Where it's stored and what runs

• com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionEnabled

For false:

/usr/bin/defaults write com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionEnabled -bool false || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionEnabled -bool false' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionEnabled 2>/dev/null || true

For true:

/usr/bin/defaults write com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionEnabled -bool true || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionEnabled -bool true' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionEnabled 2>/dev/null || true

For unset:

/usr/bin/defaults delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionEnabled 2>/dev/null || true
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete com.apple.universalaccess systemTranscriptionEnabled 2>/dev/null || true

Live Captions in FaceTime

System Settings › Accessibility › Live Captions › Live Captions in FaceTime

home-manager · per user ✓ Verified on macOS 27

applications.systemSettings.accessibility.liveCaptions.liveCaptionsInFaceTime = true;

true or false "unset" puts back macOS's default.

Where it's stored and what runs

• com.apple.Accessibility FaceTimeCaptions

For false:

/usr/bin/defaults write com.apple.Accessibility FaceTimeCaptions -int 0 || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write com.apple.Accessibility FaceTimeCaptions -int 0' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete com.apple.Accessibility FaceTimeCaptions 2>/dev/null || true

For true:

/usr/bin/defaults write com.apple.Accessibility FaceTimeCaptions -int 1 || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write com.apple.Accessibility FaceTimeCaptions -int 1' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete com.apple.Accessibility FaceTimeCaptions 2>/dev/null || true

For unset:

/usr/bin/defaults delete com.apple.Accessibility FaceTimeCaptions 2>/dev/null || true
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete com.apple.Accessibility FaceTimeCaptions 2>/dev/null || true