Google Drive adds searchable video transcripts

Google has introduced a new feature allowing searchable transcripts for videos stored in Google Drive. This feature is being rolled out to all Google Workspace users, with full availability expected by March 26th.

The transcripts, similar to those on YouTube, will appear in a sidebar next to the video. They will be displayed as timestamped text blocks, with the currently spoken section highlighted in real time as the video plays. A search bar at the top of the sidebar allows users to find specific text, and clicking on any text block will jump to that point in the video. To access the transcript, click the settings icon at the bottom of the video player and select "Transcript."

This feature is only available for videos that already have captions, as indicated by the "CC" button in the video player's controls. If captions are not already available, you can create them by right-clicking the video in Drive, selecting "Manage caption tracks," and then choosing "Generate automatic captions."