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Updated 2026-06-28

How to Transcribe a Video to Text on iPhone

By the iPhone Captions editorial team · Updated 2026-06-28

Sometimes you don't want captions on the video — you want the words as text: a transcript for notes, show notes, a blog post, or to repurpose. On iPhone you can do this on-device and export the text.

How do I transcribe a video to text on iPhone?

Use a captioning/transcription app: import the video, let it transcribe the speech, then export the text — as a transcript or an SRT/VTT subtitle file. Subly does this on-device across 90+ languages, so nothing uploads. From an SRT you can strip the timecodes to get plain text.

Get the words out of a video

  1. Import the video. Open the app and pick your clip.
  2. Transcribe on-device. Generate the transcript locally — no upload, works offline.
  3. Review. Fix names, numbers and misheard words.
  4. Export the text. Save an SRT/VTT, or copy the transcript text for notes or a post.

Turning an SRT into a clean transcript

An SRT has numbers and timecodes around each line. To get a clean paragraph, open the SRT in a text editor and remove the index numbers and the timecode lines, leaving just the spoken text. For accessibility or captions, keep the SRT as-is.

Want the text on the video instead of in a document? See the auto-generate subtitles guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a transcript from a video on iPhone?
Yes. A transcription app turns the speech into text you can export. Subly does it on-device and exports SRT/VTT; remove the timecodes for a plain transcript.
Does transcribing upload my video?
Not with an on-device app. Subly runs the speech-to-text on your iPhone, so your footage stays private and it works offline.
What format is the transcript?
Usually an SRT/VTT subtitle file (text plus timecodes). Open it in a text editor and delete the numbers and timecodes to get a plain-text transcript.

Related guides

Auto-generate subtitlesAuto-generate subtitles from speech on iPhone — how automatiUse an SRT fileWhat an SRT file is and how to use one on iPhone — open and Subtitles in another languageCaption non-English video or add foreign-language subtitles

Written for iPhone users. App features and iOS steps can change between versions — check the latest before you rely on them. How we test & our sources →