How do I watch a local video that has no subtitles?
First see what the file holds: a text subtitle track can simply be translated; with nothing at all, subtitles are made from the speech. Both happen in the WatchTranslate local player: drop the file in, check Subtitle source, pick your language, press Start translation.
Three steps to a subtitled local video
Choose or drop the video
Open the local player in a desktop browser, sign in, and check that the file plays.
Read what Subtitle source lists
Pick Embedded subtitles if it appears. Only AI recognition means the file has no readable text track.
Start, then set the display
Under Subtitles choose bilingual, translation only or original only, and adjust the style.
What the local player does for you
Uses the file's own subtitles first
A text track inside an MP4 or MKV is translated directly at 0.2 credits a minute.
Subtitles even with no track
With no track at all, AI recognition writes down the speech, then translates it.
Results you can keep
Export what has been generated as SRT or VTT: original, translation or both.
Local videos that often lack subtitles
Course downloads
Lectures saved for offline viewing.
Meeting recordings
Screen recordings that never had captions.
MKVs with a foreign track
Subtitles present, wrong language.
Downloaded episodes
Original-language subtitles only.
Podcasts and audio
MP3 files get subtitles too.
Phone videos
Copied over to the computer.
How far does VLC get you?
Players like VLC load a subtitle file you already have and switch between embedded tracks. When the subtitles don't exist, or are in the wrong language, they can't help.
| You need | A regular player | WatchTranslate local player |
|---|---|---|
| Load an SRT in your language | Yes | Yes, but you don't need us |
| Turn a foreign track into your language | No | Translates the track |
| A video with no subtitles | No | Generates them from speech |
| Two languages on screen | Needs two subtitle files | Choose Bilingual |
Formats the browser can't play, such as AVI or HEVC, open in the Windows or Mac app.
What we tried
On a computer with the live web local player in Chrome, signed in to WatchTranslate. Tears of Steel © Blender Foundation | mango.blender.org, CC BY 3.0.
- Works
MP4 with no subtitle track · about 6 s
An open-movie clip with English dialogue. Subtitle source was AI recognition by default; we picked Spanish, and the first translated line came about 6 s after Start translation.
Tested 11 Nov 2026 · web local player · Chrome · live service
Drop the file into the local player, see what Subtitle source offers, and start.
In detail
Which subtitle source to pick
| The file contains | Subtitle source | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| A text subtitle track (SRT- or ASS-style) | Embedded subtitles | Uses the track's declared language, 0.2 credits a minute |
| Image subtitles (PGS, VobSub) | AI recognition | Pictures of text can't be read as text |
| No subtitles at all | AI recognition | 1 credit a minute, language auto-detected |
| A separate subtitle file next to it | Load subtitle file… | SRT, VTT, ASS and SSA |
No subtitles can mean three different files
“No subtitles in my language” can mean very different files. An MKV may carry an English or Japanese text track you simply can't read; a disc rip may have subtitles stored as images; a recording may have none at all. Once the local player opens the file, Subtitle source lists every text track it can read, and only AI recognition if there are none. Choosing from that list is both the cheapest and the most accurate route.
Where your file goes
The full video stays on your device. AI recognition sends only the audio pieces it needs, and track translation sends only subtitle text. It does need a connection: this is not an offline tool.
If it won't play or nothing appears
A file that won't play usually uses a codec the browser lacks: try the desktop app or convert a copy to H.264 MP4. Quiet stretches correctly produce no text; music, accents and overlapping voices affect recognition. On an error, check sign-in and credits, then retry the missing piece.
Videos on a phone
On Android or iPhone, install the WatchTranslate app and open the video stored on the phone. Without the app, open the local player in the phone's browser and choose the file there.
What happens to a file you open
Why doesn't it start on its own?
Choosing a file only prepares playback and costs nothing; processing begins when you press Start translation.
Why in pieces?
Work follows the playhead about 30 seconds at a time, so a large file needn't be read in full first.
Do I restart after changing the source?
Yes. Switching Subtitle source loads that source's subtitles; press Start translation again.
Better subtitles for local videos
Prefer a text track
Human subtitles beat transcription and cost less.
Set the language if you know it
Music-heavy videos can fool Auto-detect.
Check a spoken stretch first
Make sure the result suits you before relying on it.
Check coverage before export
Only generated parts are exported.
About local video subtitles
Does a local file always need speech recognition?
No. If it has a readable text subtitle track, that track is translated directly.
Can I add a separate SRT file?
Yes. Choose Load subtitle file… under Subtitle source, or drop the video and its subtitle file in together; it is billed like subtitle translation.
Which formats work?
MP4, MKV, MOV, MP3 and others the browser can play; use the desktop app for the rest.
Why isn't my MKV's subtitle track listed?
It may be image-based or an unsupported codec. Use AI recognition to work from the audio.
Is my video uploaded?
Not as a whole file, only the audio pieces or subtitle text needed.
Does it work offline?
No. Recognition and translation run on our service, so you need a connection and an account.
Will an exported file cover the whole video?
Only if every piece has been generated; check coverage first.
What does it cost?
0.2 credits a minute to translate a track, 1 from audio. New accounts get 20 minutes free.
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
- Foreign movie with no subtitlesWhen the file is a film
- Translate embedded subtitlesTracks inside MKV and MP4
- Export SRT or VTTSample files and steps
- A video you saved from XClips from posts
- Translate a subtitle file while watchingWhen you found a foreign SRT
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