In this guide, we will show you a couple of methods to fix the issue of Show Transcript missing/not working on YouTube. This popular video streaming service from the Silicon Valley giant hardly needs an introduction of any sort. Moreover, it beholds a slew of nifty features as well, one among which is the ability to view transcripts while the video is being played.
This could come in handy in numerous instances, such as when you are trying to learn a foreign language. However, as of late, it is giving a tough time to many. Numerous users have voiced their concern that the Show Transcript option is either missing or not working on YouTube. For the unaware, this option is situated under the three horizontal dots menu, along with the option to add the video to the playlist and report it.
While the rest of the two options are there, the transcript seems to have been removed from that section. Moroever, the issue is only with the website, as the transcript option is present there in the app. With that said, there exists a couple of nifty workarounds that could he;p you rectify this issue. So without further ado, let’s check them out.
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Fix YouTube Show Transcript missing/not working
It is recommended that you try out each of the below-mentioned workarounds and then see which one spells out success. So with that in mind, let’s get started.
Delete Browser Cache
First off, you should consider deleting the temporary browser data that might have been accrued over the due course of time. Here’s how it could be done:
- Launch Chrome and head over to the below location
chrome://settings/clearBrowserData?search=cache
- Then check Cached Images and Files and hit Clear Data.
- Now restart Chrome and check if it fixes the issue or not.
Delete Browser Data
You might also get bugged by the issue of Show Transcript missing/not working in YouTube if the browser data gets corrupted or outdated. Therefore, you should consider deleting this data and let the app repopulate a fresh instance of the same from scratch. Before starting, make sure to sync all the data over to the cloud or with your account.
- Launch Chrome and head over to the below location
chrome://settings/clearBrowserData?search=cache
- Then check Cached Images and Files, Browsing History, Cookies, and Other Site Data.
- Finally, hit Clear Data. Now restart Chrome and check out the results.
Enable Auto-Generated Subtitles
If none of the aforementioned methods spelled out success, then as a last course of action, you could switch over to the auto-generated captions, which even though aren’t as efficient as transcripts, but might still help you get over the line. So refer to the below steps to try out this feature right away.
- Open the desired YouTube video, click on the Settings icon, and select Subtitles/CC.
- Then select <language name>/Auto Generated [such as English/Auto Generated].
That’s it. These were the three different methods that should help you fix the issue of Show Transcript missing/not working on YouTube. As far as the official stance on this matter is concerned, the developers are aware of this issue, but they haven’t given out any ETA for the rollout of a fix. As and when that happens, we will update this guide accordingly. In the meantime, the aforementioned workarounds are your best bet.
Ritergeek
Sorry, this option was missing when I installed a virgin copy of the DuckDuckGo browser with no history, no cookies, no cache. YouTube is broken.
Ritergeek
I installed the DuckDuckGo browser for the first time, so it has no cache. The first site I opened was a YouTube video. Before I began to play it, I checked for the transcript option. In this brand-new browser, it’s missing. Activating auto-generated subtitles did not change this. YouTube needs to fix this and quit bugging us to clear browser data that makes our lives easier.
Rita
I use firefox and Safari. Transcript does not work on either even though the link is there on my Macbook.