How to use AI to summarise any YouTube video on your phone in minutes
Want quick YouTube summaries without watching long videos? Here is a simple trick that uses AI and YouTube transcripts to give you instant takeaways directly on your phone. Perfect for tutorials, lectures, news and podcasts.
Open the YouTube video and access its transcript Start by opening the video you want to summarise. Tap the three dots below the title and select “Show transcript.” YouTube automatically generates captions for most videos. This transcript is the key because it gives you the full text of the video in one place.
Copy the entire transcript to your phone’s clipboard Once the transcript opens, scroll to the bottom and tap the copy icon if available. If not, long-press to select everything and copy it manually. This gives you the full script of the video without needing any extra apps or extensions on your phone.
Paste the transcript into your phone’s AI app or assistant Open any AI tool on your phone, such as Google Gemini, ChatGPT or Apple Intelligence when available. Paste the transcript into the chat box. These AI tools can read long text instantly, so you do not need to summarise manually or take notes yourself.
Ask the AI to summarise it in your preferred style Type something like, “Summarise this video in simple language” or “Give me five key points from this video.” You can ask for short bullet points, a detailed summary or even an explanation that feels like a friend telling you the highlights.
Save or share the summary for quick reference Once the AI creates your summary, you can bookmark it, copy it into your notes app or share it with someone who needs a quick understanding of the video. This trick works for tutorials, lectures, news breakdowns or long podcasts without watching the entire thing.
Ankita Chakravarti is a seasoned journalist with nearly a decade of experience in media. She specializes in technology and lifestyle journalism. She has worked with top Indian media houses like India Today, Zee News, The Statesman, and Millennium Post. Her expertise spans tech trends, phone launches, gadget reviews, and entertainment news. Ankita holds a Master's in Journalism and Mass Communication along with a degree in English Literature. She can be reached out at ankita.chakravarti@nw18.com