How to copy subtitles from a video on Mac
Press ⌘ ⇧ 2 when the line appears and drag over the subtitle; the words are in your clipboard when you let go. For the next line, press ⌘ ⇧ 1 to read the same area again without dragging. This works for subtitles burned into the picture as well as captions your player draws.
How to do it with Copyable
Turn subtitles on and make them readable
Use a larger caption size or full screen if your player offers it. Light text with an outline or a dark box behind it reads best.
Press ⌘ ⇧ 2 and drag over the text
Drag over the area where the lines appear, a little wider than the current line, so longer lines fit later.
Press ⌘ ⇧ 1 for each new line
Copyable reads the same area again and copies the new line. Every capture is also kept in the menu bar history, so you can paste them one after another.
Without Copyable
The free ways, and where they stop working. If one of them covers what you need, you don’t need an app.
The subtitle file
If you have the video file, its subtitles may come as a separate .srt or .vtt file. That is plain text you can open in TextEdit.
Where it stops: Not for subtitles burned into the picture, and most streaming sites don’t offer the file.
YouTube’s transcript
On YouTube, Show transcript in the description lists every caption with its time.
Where it stops: YouTube only, and only for videos with captions.
Tips for subtitles
- Two-line subtitles come out as two lines. You can keep them or join them into one paragraph.
- Learning a language? On macOS 15 and later, switch to Translate and see the line in your language next to the original.
- Protected streams such as Netflix and Apple TV appear black to screen capture, subtitles included.
Questions
Can I copy all the subtitles of a film at once?
No. Copyable reads what is on screen, one capture at a time. For a whole film you need the subtitle file.
Does it work with Netflix?
No. Netflix and other protected streams appear black to every screen capture on macOS.
Can it translate subtitles?
Yes, on macOS 15 Sequoia and later. Switch to Translate before you drag, and the panel shows the translation next to the original. It is translated on your Mac with Apple’s translation.
Copy text from anything on your screen
Copyable reads the text in any area you select with ⌘ ⇧ 2, on your Mac, without uploading anything. $4.99 once, plus tax where it applies. Requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later, Apple silicon or Intel.
Buy for $4.99