How to get a transcript of any video

Getting a transcript from a YouTube video is easy on desktop browsers but difficult if you use the app on an iOS or Android phone. Transcripts are helpful, especially if you have the limited screen real estate of an Android tablet. This guide shows you how to view and export transcripts from any YouTube video. After getting your transcript, explore the useful and hidden YouTube features you might have missed.

How YouTube’s transcripts work

Some creators upload their own transcripts, while others are auto-generated from the captions. Auto-generated transcripts are generally less accurate, as they may incorrectly transcribe muffled words or uncommon pronunciations. You can tell if a transcript is auto-generated by checking the language tag at the bottom of the transcript. It says auto-generated if the video creator didn’t upload a transcript.

Some videos may not have transcripts. In this case, you must transcribe it yourself. We show you how to do this later in this article.

Click or tap any section of the transcript to skip to that part of the video. You can search transcripts using the
CTRL + F
function on Windows to quickly find the section of the video you’re looking for.

How to get a transcript for a YouTube video on desktop browsers

We first show you how to get a transcript using YouTube’s built-in transcript feature. Then, we show you what to do if a video doesn’t have a transcript.

1. Open any video.
2. Click More at the end of the video’s description window.

   

3. Click the Show transcript button below the Transcript heading.

   

4. The transcript appears below or to the right of the video.

   

You can now export the transcript by highlighting it and copying it into your text editor. The timestamps separate each line of text. Manually removing these timestamps is time-consuming, so we recommend removing them before copying the transcript.

Click the three-dot button in the upper-right corner of the transcript and click Toggle timestamps. When you copy the timestamp, the result is easier to edit into an easily readable format.

Use a browser extension to generate a transcript

You can use a third-party extension to generate a transcript if a video’s transcription is missing or inaccurate. Various extensions are available for Chromium browsers that do this, but we recommend using YouTube Transcript.

YouTube Transcript is free and doesn’t require creating an account. After installing the extension, open a video and click the YouTube Transcript & Summary button in the upper-right corner of your screen. This extension also has the advantage of separating text into bigger chunks, making editing easier. It’s also easy to ignore the optional AI features.

How to get a transcript for a YouTube video on the mobile app

Transcripts on the YouTube mobile app work much the same as the desktop website, but there’s no way to remove the timestamps or copy the entire transcript. This limitation makes editing them tricky. We walk you through alternative ways to retrieve a transcript from a YouTube video.

1. Open the YouTube app.
2. Play a video.
3. Tap the More button underneath the video.
4. Tap Show transcript.

   

   

5. Tap the three-dot button in the upper-right corner of the transcript to change the language.

   

   

While you can tap part of the transcript to skip to that section of the video, you can’t copy the whole transcript or remove timestamps. You’ll need to record the video with another app to get a copy of the transcript.

How to get a YouTube video transcript using another app

The best way to get a copy of a YouTube video transcript on mobile without a desktop computer handy is to record the video using another app.

Get a YouTube transcript with a Pixel phone

Pixel phones come with plenty of exclusive features, and one handy feature is the Recorder app. This app transcribes audio, adds timestamps, and differentiates between speakers. Our guide on how to use Google Recorder gives a thorough breakdown of how to use the app. Here’s a quick walkthrough of how to get a transcript of a YouTube video:

1. Open the Recorder app.
2. Tap the red Record button at the bottom of your screen to start the recording. Tap Pause if you aren’t ready to start.
3. While the Recorder app’s recording is running, switch to the YouTube app.

   

   

4. Play your video at the loudest volume possible.
5. When the video is done, switch to the Recorder app and tap Save.
6. Open the recording and tap Transcript.

   

You can now edit and export the transcript to another app. Here are some tips to get a clear recording:

• Play the video through an external speaker. Your phone’s speaker will struggle to match the quality of a dedicated speaker. Play the video through an external Bluetooth speaker for the best transcription quality.
• Use picture-in-picture mode to keep an eye on your transcription. If you switch to the Recorder app while playing a video, the video stops playing. Activating picture-in-picture mode moves the video to a floating window, so you can keep an eye on the transcription as it plays. This means you can make edits as transcription errors appear. This feature is only available for YouTube Premium members.

Get a YouTube transcript with a different Android or iOS device

The Pixel Recorder app is the best recording app available, but it isn’t the only one. The best voice recorder apps for Android produce a similar result as the Pixel Recorder app, but accuracy varies. Use the same steps outlined above for the Recorder app with another voice recorder app to generate a transcript of a YouTube video.

Quickly find the information you need in a YouTube video

Transcripts are a great way to find the information you need without watching an entire video. If you prefer listening to rather than watching videos, brush up on all the ways to listen to YouTube with the screen off.