How to Get YouTube Transcript on Windows [2026]

Getting YouTube transcripts on Windows is easy with multiple browser and app options. This guide covers all Windows-specific methods from Edge to PowerShell.

Method Comparison for Windows

Method 1: Microsoft Edge (Built-in)

Windows 10/11 comes with Edge pre-installed.

Native YouTube Transcript

1. 1.Open Edge (Windows key, type "Edge")
2. 2.Go to YouTube (youtube.com)
3. 3.Navigate to video
4. 4.Click three-dot menu below video (...)
5. 5.Select "Show transcript"
6. 6.Copy text:

- Click in transcript panel

- Ctrl + A (select all)

- Ctrl + C (copy)

Edge Keyboard Shortcuts

Method 2: NoteLM.ai (Recommended)

Works with any Windows browser.

Steps

1. 1.Copy video URL:

- Click address bar (Ctrl + L)

- Copy (Ctrl + C)

1. 1.Open NoteLM.ai:

- New tab (Ctrl + T)

- Go to notelm.ai

1. 1.Paste and extract:

- Paste URL (Ctrl + V)

- Click "Get Transcript"

1. 1.Copy or download:

- Click "Copy" for clipboard

- Or "Download" for file

Why NoteLM.ai on Windows

• Works in Edge, Chrome, Firefox
• One-click copy with timestamps
• Download options (TXT, SRT)
• No Windows app installation needed

Method 3: Google Chrome

Chrome is popular on Windows with great extension support.

Install Chrome

1. 1.Download from google.com/chrome
2. 2.Or use Windows Package Manager:

winget install Google.Chrome

Chrome Extensions for Transcripts

1. 1.Open Chrome Web Store
2. 2.Search "YouTube Transcript"
3. 3.Popular options:

- YouTube Transcript Copier

- Glasp

- Video CC

1. 1.Install and use on YouTube videos

Method 4: PowerShell with yt-dlp

Windows PowerShell provides powerful automation.

Install yt-dlp

Option 1: Windows Package Manager (winget)

winget install yt-dlp

Option 2: pip (requires Python)

pip install yt-dlp

Option 3: Download executable

1. 1.Go to github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases
2. 2.Download yt-dlp.exe
3. 3.Add to PATH or use full path

Download Transcript

# Download auto-generated captions
yt-dlp --write-auto-sub --skip-download "VIDEO_URL"

# Download as SRT format
yt-dlp --write-auto-sub --sub-format srt --skip-download "VIDEO_URL"

# English only
yt-dlp --write-auto-sub --sub-lang en --skip-download "VIDEO_URL"

# Save to specific folder
yt-dlp --write-auto-sub --skip-download -o "C:\Transcripts\%(title)s" "VIDEO_URL"

Quick PowerShell Access

• Windows key + X → Windows Terminal
• Or: Windows key, type "PowerShell"

Method 5: Windows Store Apps

YouTube Apps

While there's no official Windows YouTube app, some third-party apps exist:

• myTube!
• Awesome Tube

Method 6: Desktop Automation

PowerShell Script for Batch Processing

# batch_transcripts.ps1
$videos = @(
    "https://youtube.com/watch?v=video1",
    "https://youtube.com/watch?v=video2",
    "https://youtube.com/watch?v=video3"
)

$outputFolder = "C:\Transcripts"

if (!(Test-Path $outputFolder)) {
    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $outputFolder
}

foreach ($video in $videos) {
    Write-Host "Processing: $video"
    yt-dlp --write-auto-sub --sub-format srt --skip-download -o "$outputFolder\%(title)s" $video
    Start-Sleep -Seconds 2
}

Write-Host "Done! Transcripts saved to $outputFolder"

Run Script

# Navigate to script location
cd C:\Scripts

# Run script
.\batch_transcripts.ps1

Windows-Specific Tips

Save to OneDrive

Sync transcripts across devices:

1. 1.Save files to OneDrive folder
2. 2.Access from any Windows device
3. 3.Or use OneDrive web

Use Windows Notepad

For quick transcript viewing:

1. 1.Download transcript as TXT
2. 2.Double-click opens in Notepad
3. 3.Search with Ctrl + F

Snipping Tool for Screenshots

Capture transcript along with video:

1. 1.Windows + Shift + S
2. 2.Select area
3. 3.Paste in document

Windows Clipboard History

Enable for multiple copies:

1. 1.Settings → System → Clipboard
2. 2.Turn on "Clipboard history"
3. 3.Windows + V to access history

Browser Comparison on Windows

Edge-Specific Features

Collections

Save transcript research:

1. 1.Click Collections icon (or Ctrl + Shift + Y)
2. 2.Create new collection
3. 3.Add pages and notes
4. 4.Export to Word/Excel

Vertical Tabs

Better for transcript work:

1. 1.Settings → Appearance
2. 2.Enable "Show vertical tabs"
3. 3.More space for content

Immersive Reader

For reading downloaded transcripts:

1. 1.Open TXT file in Edge
2. 2.Click Immersive Reader icon
3. 3.Cleaner reading experience

Troubleshooting Windows Issues

Edge Not Showing Transcript

Try:

1. 1.Clear Edge cache (Ctrl + Shift + Delete)
2. 2.Disable extensions temporarily
3. 3.Reset Edge settings
4. 4.Use Chrome as alternative

PowerShell Execution Policy Error

Fix:

# Run as Administrator
Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

yt-dlp Not Recognized

Fix:

# Check if in PATH
$env:Path

# Add to PATH (example)
$env:Path += ";C:\yt-dlp"

# Or use full path
C:\yt-dlp\yt-dlp.exe --write-auto-sub --skip-download "URL"

Can't Download Files

Check download settings:

1. 1.Edge: Settings → Downloads
2. 2.Chrome: Settings → Downloads
3. 3.Verify download folder exists

Keyboard Shortcut Reference

Recommended workflow:

1. 1.Copy YouTube URL (Ctrl + L, Ctrl + C)
2. 2.Open NoteLM.ai (new tab)
3. 3.Paste URL and get transcript
4. 4.Copy to clipboard or download file

Start getting YouTube transcripts on your Windows PC today!