Video to text
How to convert a video to text without rewatching it
To convert a video to text, save the file to your phone or computer, open it in HiText and wait a few minutes: the app pulls out the audio, transcribes it and gives you an AI summary. It accepts MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV and WMV files up to 2 GB, plus YouTube links. Your first 30 minutes are free.
A 38-minute video turned into text:
- Format: MP4, 480 MB
- Topic: New onboarding flow
- Action item: Fix the pricing step before launch.
Video to text, step by step
- 1
Get the video into Files
On iPhone, if the video is in Photos, open it, tap Share and choose Save to Files. On Android you can pick it straight from your gallery or Downloads folder.
- 2
Open it in HiText
In HiText, choose the option to upload a file and select the video. If it's on YouTube, use the YouTube option and paste the link instead.
- 3
Read the text and summary
A few minutes later you have the full transcript and a summary of the key points. Copy it, translate it or share it.
Which videos you can transcribe
- On iPhone: MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV and WMV
- On Android, also WEBM and 3GP
- Up to 2 GB per file in the app and 1 GB on the web
- YouTube links, with nothing to download: YouTube video to text
Lectures, meetings and your own clips
It works for recorded lectures, webinars, Zoom or Teams recordings and videos you shot on your phone. HiText doesn't download TikTok or Instagram videos from a link: if the video is yours or you can save it, upload it as a file.
For calls, see Zoom recording transcription and Teams meeting transcripts; for classes, lecture to text.
If the video is larger than 2 GB
- Trim it into parts in Photos or your gallery app
- Or export just the audio (M4A or MP3), which is much smaller and transcribes the same
- 4K footage weighs far more than the speech in it: normal quality is plenty for a transcript
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to convert video to text?
You start with 30 free minutes of transcription, no card needed. To keep transcribing you can subscribe to Pro inside the app; you see the price before paying and can cancel any time from your App Store or Google Play subscription settings.
Does it create SRT subtitles or timestamps?
No. HiText gives you the full text of the video and a summary, but it doesn't export SRT subtitles or mark the time of each sentence.
How long does a long video take?
A few minutes for most videos; an hour-long file takes a bit longer, mostly because of the upload.
Can I transcribe a video on my computer?
Yes. At app.trytiro.app, sign in and upload the video (MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, WMV or WEBM, up to 1 GB) or paste a YouTube link. Then copy the text or download it as TXT.
What happens to my videos?
Your audio is used only to transcribe it and is deleted from our servers when it's done (at most within 7 days if something fails). The transcript and summary are kept on your device and on our servers until you delete them in the app. We don't use your content to train AI models. Details in our privacy policy.
More tools
- Transcribe audio to text on iPhone and Android in minutes
- How to convert a WhatsApp voice message to text on iPhone and Android
- Transcribe a YouTube video to text from its link
- Transcribe interviews and meetings to text, with a summary
- How to translate audio to text in your own language
- How to convert an MP3 to text in a few minutes
- How to choose a transcription app (and what HiText does)
- How to transcribe a Zoom recording, even on a free Zoom account
- How to turn a voice recorder recording into text on Android
- How to get a Google Meet transcript from the recording
- How to turn an iPhone voice memo into text
- How to convert an M4A file to text
- How to get a Teams meeting transcript from the recording
- How to convert a WAV file to text
- How to turn a podcast episode into text
- How to turn a recorded lecture into text and study notes
- How to convert an OPUS or OGG file to text
- HiText home
Read the video instead of rewatching it
Download HiText and transcribe your first 30 minutes free.
