Get YouTube transcripts without logging in

You shouldn't have to hand over a Google login just to read a video as text. This guide shows how to get a YouTube transcript without logging in — no account, no email, and no tracking. Free and private.

Why so many tools force a sign-in

A lot of transcript tools ask you to sign in with Google or create an account before you can do anything. That login often lets them tie activity to your identity, send marketing email, or upsell a subscription later. For something as simple as reading a transcript, that's a lot to give away.

It also adds friction. You wanted the text of one video, and instead you're filling in a sign-up form or clicking through an OAuth screen.

How to read a transcript with no account

The free gistcap extension shows the transcript right on the YouTube watch page without any of that. There's no login screen, no email field, and nothing to verify. You install it once and it works on every video.

Because there's no account, there's also no profile building up behind the scenes. Your settings stay on your own device and nothing about what you watch is sent anywhere.

No login, no tracking

Skipping the login isn't just convenient, it's more private. The extension collects no personal data, runs no analytics, and shares nothing with third parties. It only runs on YouTube and nowhere else, so it isn't watching the rest of your browsing.

You can read, search and copy any transcript knowing none of it is logged to an account or sold on. For the full details, see the privacy policy.

What you can still do without an account

Everything that matters: view the full transcript on the page, click any line to jump to that moment, search the whole video, and copy the text as clean notes. No account is needed for any of it.

Frequently asked questions

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