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📞 Home Phone Guide

Captioned Home Phones Compared — CapTel vs. CaptionCall vs. Clarity

Published October 2026 · Last verified October 2026

The Three Names, Side by SideAll show live captions; each has its own flavorKnown forHow you get itCapTelLong-standing,familiarOrder the phoneCaptionCallBig screen, freesetup helpDelivery +installClarity-brandBig buttons,loud soundBuy the handsetAll three caption for free to qualified users; confirm current details with each.
The three names compared side by side — what each is best known for.
How to Get One at No CostThe path from deciding to your first captioned call1Pick a phoneChoose a providerthat fits you2Certify hearinglossSelf-certify; someneed a pro's note3RegisterName, birth date,last 4 of Social4Captions turn onConnect internet,make a callThe captioning service is paid by the federal TRS Fund — not by you.
How to get a captioned phone at no cost — the path from start to first call.

If hearing on the phone has gotten hard, a captioned phone can be a small miracle — it shows you the words the other person is saying, right on a screen, while you listen. Here's an honest, side-by-side look at the three names you'll run into, and why the captioning is free to folks who qualify. Want a hand? My number is (330) 200-8042.

Bill Davis
Bill's Home Tech · Atwater, Ohio
Want the full deep-dive?
Download the printable guide
PDF · plain English · no ads · made by Bill
What it does
Shows live captions of what the caller says
The captioning cost
Free to qualified users — a federal fund pays
What it needs
Good home internet (these are internet models)
Who qualifies
People with hearing loss — you certify it

If hearing on the phone has gotten hard, a captioned phone can be a small miracle — it shows you the words the other person is saying, right on a screen, while you listen. Here's an honest, side-by-side look at the three names you'll run into, and why the captioning is free to folks who qualify. Want a hand? My number is (330) 200-8042.

What's inside this guide

The printable PDF walks through 33 short chapters, in plain language. It also includes an everyday cheat sheet and at-a-glance pictures.

  1. First, a Word of Reassurance
  2. What a Captioned Phone Actually Is
  3. Why the Captions Are Free
  4. The Three Names You'll See
  5. A Closer Look at CapTel
  6. A Closer Look at CaptionCall
  7. A Closer Look at the Clarity Brand
  8. How the Three Are Alike
  9. How the Three Differ
  10. Do I Qualify?
  11. The Certification Rule
  12. The Registration Step
  13. Why They Ask for Your Social Security Number
  14. You Need Good Internet
  15. Works on Digital and VoIP Phone Lines
  16. The Slight Caption Delay
  17. How Accurate Are the Captions?
  18. Setting One Up at Home
  19. Amplification and Volume
  20. The Screen and the Buttons
  21. How to Actually Use It
  22. Captioned vs. Amplified Phones
  23. What About a Captioning App?
  24. Choosing Between the Three
  25. Questions to Ask Each Provider
  26. Common Mistakes I See
  27. Your Privacy on a Captioned Call
  28. If the Captions Stop Working
  29. Telling Your Family
  30. Questions I Get All the Time
  31. A Few Plain Words to Know
  32. When to Just Call Me
  33. What I'd Tell My Own Neighbor

Get the printable guide

Everything above is a quick summary. The full, printable guide — the same words, laid out to read and keep by the computer — is a free PDF.

Download the printable PDF →

Last verified October 2026. Information accurate as of October 25, 2026.

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✍️ Every guide researched, written, and reviewed by Bill — your local Portage County tech.

Any prices or outside products mentioned in this guide can change over time — the details here were last checked October 2026 and this page is accurate as of October 25, 2026; please confirm current pricing before you buy. See how often we review our guides →