How do I translate a Twitter video into English?
X's translation works on the words of a post; the video keeps its own audio. On a computer, add WatchTranslate, open the post and click its button on the video: it translates the captions if the creator added any and listens to the speech if not.
Watch on your phone
Scan to get the app
Three steps from a foreign clip to English
Add the extension on a computer
Chrome or Edge both work. Sign in to WatchTranslate after adding it; a new account comes with 20 free minutes.
Open the post itself
Click the post in your timeline so the video plays on the post's own page. Public posts play without an X sign-in.
WTAnd physical AI is notClick the button on the video
It is at the top right of the player. Choose English under Target language and switch it on; if the clip has no caption track, audio recognition takes over.
A different way to watch posts
Stay on the post
No copying links into another site and no download. The subtitles sit on X's own player, with the replies underneath.
Audio-only clips become readable
Breaking-news clips and press-conference cuts rarely carry captions. Audio recognition writes the speech down first, then translates it.
Keep what was said
Save the result as SRT or VTT from the Export tab, as original, English or both, ready to quote.
The X videos people most often want in English
Foreign broadcasters
Correspondents and anchors from abroad, often before any English coverage.
Political speeches
Leaders speaking at home, clipped and shared worldwide within the hour.
Idols and celebrities
Fan meetings, live-stream moments and backstage talk.
Sport after the whistle
Coaches and players answering questions in their own language.
Tech and games reveals
Demos presented in Japanese, Korean or Chinese first.
Viral interview moments
The few minutes of a long conversation that everyone reposts.
Can X translate the video itself?
For the written part of a post, X's own translation is all you need. When someone is talking in the video and you can't follow, that is where WatchTranslate helps.
| In the post | What X can do | Adding WatchTranslate |
|---|---|---|
| Text in another language | Translates it, on its own or with Show translation | X handles the text, WatchTranslate the speech |
| Creator attached captions | You can turn them on, in the language the creator chose | Translates that track into English, original alongside |
| Video with sound only | Often no captions to pick | Recognises the speech and shows English as it plays |
| A long interview | Same, depends on the post | Can prepare the whole video before you watch |
The table describes a post page on x.com in a desktop browser, signed out of X.
The post we tested on X
On a computer with the current extension, signed out of X, we opened a public post with a video and clicked the button at the top right of the player.
- Works
Prime Minister's Office of Japan · Japanese remarks
We used audio recognition as the subtitle source; English appeared on the player with the Japanese sentence underneath.
Tested November 12, 2026 · extension 0.5.793 · Chrome · signed out of X
Watch on your phone
Scan to get the app
Once it's installed, go back to the post and click the button at the top right of the video.
In detail
Different clips, different settings
| The video in front of you | What to pick in the panel | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| A short news or press clip | Leave Subtitle source as it is, Target language: English | With no caption track the panel moves to audio recognition itself |
| The creator attached captions | Pick that track under Subtitle source | Lines and timing follow the creator's track, so they read most neatly |
| An interview of half an hour or more | Click "Translate all subtitles in advance", then play from the start | Keep watching while it prepares; jumping ahead still has lines |
Why X videos rarely come with English
Since April 2026 X translates foreign posts into your language automatically, which is why a timeline now fills with posts from Japan, Brazil or Korea. That translation is about written text: the post, replies and profiles. A video is different. Whether the X player offers captions at all depends on the person who posted it, and when there is a track it is in the language that person chose. Many news and press clips have only their original soundtrack. WatchTranslate fills that gap on the player itself.
When the creator added captions
Open the panel and look at Subtitle source: any track this video offers is listed there. Pick it, set Target language to English and press start. The timing and line breaks come from the creator's track, so the English fits the picture closely, and track translation costs less than audio recognition (0.2 credits a minute).
When there is only audio
If the panel finds no readable track, it uses audio recognition: it listens to the clip in stretches, writes down what is said and translates it, at 1 credit a minute. Leave Source language on Auto-detect; set it yourself only when a clip mixes languages.
Live streams and phones
This guide covers ordinary video posts in a desktop browser, which is how we tested. For X live streams, the extension offers Live translation (beta); apply at watchtranslate.com/live first. On a phone, send this page to your computer and follow the steps there.
Where the English on an X video comes from
Why don't I have to wait for the whole video?
Only the part you are watching and the part right after it are processed, about 30 seconds each. A one-minute news clip is often finished soon after it starts playing.
How are names and acronyms handled?
A large language model translates each sentence with the neighbouring ones in view, so who "he" is and which party an acronym stands for usually come out right. The original line underneath lets you check.
Are widely shared clips quicker?
Finished subtitles are stored per video, subtitle source and target language. If someone already translated the same clip into English, those lines usually appear straight away and only new parts are charged.
What X says
From the X Help Center, checked signed out on .
The person who uploads a video can attach a .srt caption file when posting; whether captions exist, and in which language, is up to them.
help.x.com/en/using-x/upload-caption-srt-fileX Help has a page on sharing and watching videos on X.
help.x.com/en/using-x/x-videos
For cleaner English
Play it on the post page
The button follows the video that is playing on the post's own page, not a preview in the timeline.
Name the language for mixed clips
A speaker switching between Japanese and English? Set Source language to the main one.
Read along in two lines
Keep the bilingual view when numbers or names matter, then hide the original in Appearance if you prefer.
About translating X videos
Can X's Show translation translate a video?
No. It translates the written text of a post. Speech in a video only shows up as text if there are captions, and X's translate button does not turn a video's audio into English.
Can I translate a Twitter video that has no subtitles?
Yes. The panel switches to audio recognition, writes down the speech and translates it, sentence by sentence as the video plays.
Do I need to be signed in to X?
Not for public posts; we tested signed out. Some posts are only shown after signing in, so sign in to X first for those. WatchTranslate needs its own account to track your free minutes.
I can't find the button on the video.
Click into the post and play the video there. Still missing? Refresh the page and check at chrome://extensions/ that WatchTranslate is switched on.
Can it translate Japanese or Korean Twitter videos?
Yes. Leave Source language on Auto-detect, or choose the spoken language yourself, and set Target language to English.
Can I show only English?
Yes. In the Appearance tab, set the display to Target only.
Can I download the translated subtitles?
Yes. Save SRT or VTT from the Export tab. It contains what has been generated so far, not the video.
What does it cost to translate X videos?
New accounts get 20 free minutes, no card. After that, translating an existing track is 0.2 credits a minute and audio recognition 1 credit a minute.
Does it work on my phone?
The extension runs in Chrome or Edge on a computer, which is where we tested. On a phone, send this link to your computer.
Is WatchTranslate made by X?
No. It is an independent browser extension that adds subtitles on top of the X player without changing the post or the video.
One tool to understand foreign-language videos on many sites
Translates as you watch, wherever you are in the video
Jump anywhere and it translates there — no need to translate the whole video first.
Translate videos on YouTube, X, Bilibili and more
Translate existing subtitles directly, or generate bilingual subtitles when there are none.
Better translation quality than traditional machine or real-time translation
AI language models use context and connect the surrounding dialogue to understand meaning.
Export subtitles as SRT / VTT files
Download generated subtitles as original, translated, or bilingual text and load them in common players.
Already translated by someone? Watch it free
Sign up free to reuse generated subtitles for the same video, subtitle source and languages, even after your credits run out.
Bilingual subtitles on your phone
Play video files on your phone, or open a video site in the app's built-in browser and tap Translate. A native player handles more video formats than the web player.
Keep reading
Related questions
- YouTube video with no subtitlesWhen there is no CC at all
- Does X auto-translate videos?Why the post is translated but the clip isn't
- Translate an X video saved on your deviceAlready have the file
- Translate an online video without subtitlesOther sites, same idea
- Save subtitles as SRT / VTTKeep the translation
- Subtitles in the original languageRead along without translating
Sites
- Twitter (X) video translatorEnglish subtitles on posts
- YouTube video translator
More: All guides · Supported sites
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