Open a video
Any YouTube video or Short, any Vimeo video, or a page with one embedded. Unspool picks the main one.
00:00:00 · Free Chrome extension
Every word. One click.
Unspool is a Chrome extension that pulls the transcript out of the YouTube or Vimeo video on your screen. Copy it, search it, save it. Free, no account.
Coming soon to the Chrome Web Store
Why we forget: Lecture 4
Open Mind Lectures
So today we're looking at why we forget things.
unspool
0 lines
English · auto
Copy
How it works
Three steps.
About four seconds.
Click Get transcript
It reads the captions straight from the player, including the automatic ones, in every language the video has.
Copy, search, save
With or without timestamps, as lines or as paragraphs. Save it as text or as a subtitle file.
Try it right here
This is the real thing. Click around.
The panel on the right works like the extension does. Switch layouts, hide the times, search for a word, then copy it.
- Lines or paragraphs. Keep each caption on its own line, or read it as flowing text.
- Timestamps on or off. Click a time in the extension and the video jumps there.
- Search. Matches light up, Enter goes to the next one.
- Save as .txt, .srt or .vtt. Notes, or proper subtitle files.
- Nothing leaves your browser. No account, no server, no tracking.
Chrome Web Store
Coming soon to the Chrome Web Store.
Once it's listed, adding Unspool takes one click. It works in Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc and the other Chromium browsers, on Windows, Mac and Linux. Want to know the day it goes live? Drop me a line.
Tell me when it's liveFree. Coffee keeps it that way.
I built Unspool because I was sick of pausing and rewinding to copy what someone said. If it saves you an afternoon, a coffee keeps it free and keeps it working when YouTube changes things.
FAQ
Questions.
Does it work on videos without captions?
No. It reads captions that already exist, added by the creator or generated by YouTube or Vimeo. Most YouTube videos in common languages have automatic ones. If a video has none, Unspool says so.
When can I add it to Chrome?
Soon. Unspool is on its way to the Chrome Web Store, and once it's listed it's one click to add. Email me and I'll tell you the day it goes live.
Is it really free?
Yes. No trial, no limits, no account. There's a coffee button if you want to support it.
Does it work on videos embedded in other sites?
Yes. Open the page and click Unspool, and it picks the biggest YouTube or Vimeo player on the page. A few Vimeo videos are locked to the site they're on, and Unspool tells you when it meets one.
Can I copy only part of it?
Select any part of the transcript and press Copy, and you get just your selection. Or use your keyboard, it's normal text.
What does it do with my data?
Nothing. Captions go straight from YouTube or Vimeo to your browser. No server, no analytics, no account. It only remembers your layout choices on your own computer.
Need something built?
I build Chrome extensions, websites and web apps.
Unspool is one of mine. If you need an extension, a website, or a tool that does one job really well, tell me what you have in mind and I'll get back to you.
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