How to View Transcript on YouTube

YouTube hides the transcript button in plain sight, so here is the fastest way to surface it on every device.

Quick answer

1. Open the YouTube video in a browser.
2. Click the ... (More actions) button under the video title and choose Show transcript. On mobile, tap the video title first, then tap Show transcript.
3. Use the search bar inside the transcript panel to jump to keywords.
4. Toggle timestamps on/off with the switch inside the panel.

That is all you need when the creator uploaded captions. If the button is missing, YouTube did not generate subtitles or you are watching from a region where the UI has not rolled out yet. Use the checklist below to double‑check.

Desktop walkthrough

• Sign in is optional, but makes it easier to save transcripts to playlists later.
• Scroll below the video title, click the ... icon, and choose Show transcript.
• A panel opens on the right. Expand it to full height with the arrow icon for long videos.
• Click any line to jump to that exact moment. YouTube auto pauses the video while you scroll.

Mobile walkthrough (iOS & Android)

1. Tap the video title once to reveal the description drawer.
2. Scroll a little and tap Show transcript.
3. Use the timestamp chips to scrub, or tap the filter icon to search text.
4. Collapse the drawer to keep watching while you read.

When the button is missing

• The creator might have disabled community contributions or captions entirely.
• Auto-generated captions take a few minutes to appear after a live stream ends.
• Some brand-new channels do not get transcripts until they build a little history.
• Region-locked videos sometimes hide the transcript panel; try changing youtube.com to m.youtube.com and reloading.

Faster option: YouTube Transcript Fast

When YouTube refuses to show the transcript, paste the video URL into YouTube Transcript Fast. It pulls whatever text is available—auto captions, manual subtitles, Shorts scripts—and lets you:

• Copy the entire transcript with one click.
• Download a clean .txt file without timestamps.
• Search across very long videos instantly.
• Access transcripts for videos where the YouTube UI still says “Transcript not available”.

FAQ

Does this work for Shorts? Yes. The transcript drawer looks different, but the same steps apply. If it still fails, our converter handles Shorts links automatically.

Can I view transcripts in other languages? Click the language dropdown inside the transcript panel. YouTube shows every caption track a creator uploaded. If you need a machine translation, copy the text into your translation tool of choice.

Is there a speed limit? YouTube transcripts load instantly regardless of video length, but copying thousands of words can be clumsy. The dedicated converter lets you copy or download everything cleanly.