Rylo
An app that captions your phone calls as the other person talks.
What Rylo does
Rylo, formerly called Nagish, puts live captions on your phone calls. You see what the other person says as they say it, and you can type back and have it spoken. It's free for registered people in the US with hearing loss, paid for by a federal fund.
Rylo lets you make and take phone calls on your smartphone with captions on screen. You can talk with your own voice, or type a reply and let text-to-speech say it for you. Transcripts are saved on your device, and calls are end-to-end encrypted.
It's not only for calls. A built-in live transcribe mode captions in-person conversations too, and there's an Apple Watch app. Captions work in English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Hebrew and Italian. Extras include visual voicemail, a personal dictionary, spam blocking and a profanity filter.
The catch is who can use it. Captioned phone service in the US is paid for per minute by a federal fund, and the law says only registered people with hearing loss may use it with captions on. So it's not a general transcription tool. If you qualify, it costs you nothing.
Alternatives to Rylo
Who it's for
Skip it if: People outside the US. Anyone without hearing loss (federal rules require registration).
Pricing
Free planFree for eligible people in the US with hearing loss. The captions are paid per minute from a federally administered fund, so there's no bill for you.
Prices can vary by country. Checked 17 Oct 2026.
What people like
- Free if you qualify
- Visual voicemail and spam blocking included
- Calls are end-to-end encrypted
- Also captions face-to-face chats
Watch out for
- US only, and you must register
- Only six caption languages
- Name change from Nagish can be confusing when searching
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Questions people ask
Is Rylo the same as Nagish?
Yes. Nagish renamed its app to Rylo. The developer is still Nagish Inc.
Is Rylo free?
Yes, for registered people in the US with hearing loss. A federal fund pays for the captions.
Can anyone use Rylo?
No. US law limits captioned calls to registered people with hearing loss.
Does Rylo caption in-person conversations?
Yes. It has a live transcribe mode for conversations around you.