How to View a Transcript on YouTube Mobile (iPhone & Android)

To view a transcript on YouTube mobile, open the video in the YouTube app, tap the title (iPhone) or "...more" (Android) to expand the description, then scroll down and tap Show transcript. Tap any line to jump to that moment. The app lets you read the transcript, but it has no button to copy or download all of it, so for the full text, paste the video link into YTTranscript in your phone's browser.

How to view a transcript in the YouTube app

The steps are almost identical on iPhone, iPad and Android:

Open the video in the YouTube app.
Expand the description. On iPhone and iPad, tap the video title. On Android, tap ...more under the title.
Scroll to the Transcript section and tap Show transcript.
Tap any line to jump to that point in the video. The transcript scrolls along as the video plays.

If Show transcript isn't there, the video most likely has no captions (updating the app is worth a try too). See what to do when a YouTube video has no transcript.

The catch: you can read it, but not copy it all

The in-app transcript is built for reading along. There's no button to copy the whole thing or download it as a file, which is what you need to paste it into notes, share it, or hand it to an AI tool.

	YouTube app (Show transcript)	YTTranscript (mobile browser)
Read along, synced to the video	Yes	No, text only
Tap a line to jump in the video	Yes	No
Copy the whole transcript	No one-tap option	Yes, one tap
Download as TXT, DOCX or PDF	No	Yes
Cost	Free	2 free a day, then one-time packs

Use the app to follow along; use YTTranscript when you need the text itself.

How to copy or download a YouTube transcript on your phone

Step 1: Copy the video link. In the YouTube app, tap Share, then Copy link. In a mobile browser, copy the URL from the address bar.

Step 2: Open yttranscript.app in your browser. Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Samsung Internet all work. There's no app to install and no account to create.

Step 3: Paste the link and tap Get Transcript Now. The full transcript appears in a few seconds.

Step 4: Copy or download. Tap Copy to put the whole text on your clipboard, or download it as a TXT, DOCX or PDF file. More detail in how to copy a YouTube transcript and our iPhone guide.

Works on any phone: Paste a YouTube link into YTTranscript in your mobile browser and copy the full transcript in seconds, with no app and no account. → Try it now on your phone

What to do with the transcript on your phone

Share it in a message. Paste the text into iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram or email to pass on a video's key points without making anyone watch it.

Save it to your notes. Paste into Apple Notes or Google Keep, then highlight and organise at your own pace. The Notion app works well too; see YouTube transcript to Notion.

Ask AI about it. Paste the transcript into the ChatGPT or Claude app and ask for a summary, key points or answers to specific questions. Prompt ideas are in using YouTube transcripts with ChatGPT.

YouTube Shorts on mobile

Paste a Shorts link into YTTranscript exactly the same way to get its transcript. More in our guide to YouTube Shorts transcripts.

Do Chrome extensions work on mobile?

No. Chrome on iPhone and Android doesn't support extensions, so extension-based transcript tools only work on desktop. YTTranscript runs as a normal web page, so it works in any mobile browser. See whether you need a YouTube transcript Chrome extension.

Frequently asked questions

How do I view the transcript on YouTube mobile? In the YouTube app, open the video's description by tapping the title on iPhone or ...more on Android, scroll down to the Transcript section and tap Show transcript. Tap any line to jump to that point in the video.

Why is Show transcript missing on my phone? The option only appears on videos that have captions, and some videos have none. Updating the YouTube app is also worth a try. If a video has no captions at all, see our guide to videos with no transcript.

Can I copy the whole transcript in the YouTube app? Not easily. The app shows the transcript line by line but has no copy-all or download button. Paste the video link into YTTranscript in your phone's browser to copy the full text or download it as TXT, DOCX or PDF.

Does this work on both Android and iPhone? Yes. Show transcript is in the YouTube app on both, and YTTranscript works in any mobile browser, including Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Samsung Internet, with nothing to install.

Is it free to get a YouTube transcript on mobile? Yes. Viewing the transcript in the YouTube app is free, and YTTranscript gives you 2 free transcripts a day with no account. If you need more, it sells one-time packs with no subscription.

→ Need the full text on your phone? Paste any YouTube link into YTTranscript