Copying text from a Facebook video can be useful if you want to quote something said in the video or jot down notes for later reference. Luckily, Facebook makes it easy to copy and paste text from videos posted on the platform. Here are a few quick ways to copy text from Facebook videos:
Using the Transcript Feature
Many Facebook videos now have an automated transcript available. To access the transcript, start playing the video and look for the “Transcript” tab on the right side of the video player. Click on this tab to open up the full text transcript.
Once the transcript is open, you can simply highlight the text you want to copy and use your browser’s copy command (CTRL/CMD + C on most keyboards). The highlighted text will be copied to your clipboard, ready for pasting.
Enabling Captions
If a transcript isn’t available, another option is to turn on captions for the video. Captions will display the audio from the video as text overlays while the video plays.
To turn on captions, click on the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the video player. This will open a menu – go to Subtitles/CC and select “English.” Captions will now be displayed as the video plays.
With captions enabled, you can pause the video at the point you want to copy, highlight the caption text on screen, and use the copy command to add it to your clipboard.
Using Third-Party Tools
There are also browser extensions and third-party tools you can use to copy text from Facebook videos:
- Chrome Video Text Extractor – Chrome extension that detects and extracts text from videos.
- ClipConverter.cc – Online media converter that can extract subtitles/captions from a video URL.
- OneNote Web Clipper – Browser extension that can capture screenshots and text from webpages and videos.
These tools work by detecting text elements, captions, or subtitles in the Facebook video, and outputting the text so you can copy and paste it. They provide an easy way to grab text from videos without manually transcribing.
Using Keyboard Shortcuts to Copy Captions
A quick keyboard shortcut method also works if the video has captions enabled:
- Turn on captions for the video as described above.
- Play the video and pause when you reach the text you want to copy.
- Press Ctrl+Alt+C (Windows) or Cmd+Opt+C (Mac) on your keyboard to copy the current caption text.
- Paste the copied text wherever needed.
This keyboard shortcut copies whatever caption text is displayed on screen when you press the keys. It’s a handy shortcut that can speed up the process of grabbing text from Facebook videos.
Using Third-Party Downloaders
One other option is to use an online tool or app that lets you download the Facebook video file. You can then extract the caption text from the downloaded file. Some options include:
- 4K Video Downloader – Desktop app that downloads videos from Facebook.
- SaveFrom.Net – Web-based tool that downloads Facebook videos.
- VideoProc – Video downloader and converter app.
After downloading the video file, open it in a video player app like VLC media player. Turn on captions/subtitles and use the player’s export or copy functions to extract the text. This method requires a few extra steps but can be helpful if the online methods don’t work.
Troubleshooting Tips
In some cases, you may run into issues trying to copy text from Facebook videos:
- Captions don’t show up – Double check your language/subtitle settings are enabled.
- Can’t highlight text – Try a different browser or device if highlighting text isn’t working.
- Copy features blocked – Some videos don’t allow copying due to copyrights.
- No text detected – Automated tools can’t pick up text if video quality is poor.
Following the owner’s captioning practices and enabling subtitles where available are good ways to ensure you can access text from a Facebook video. Using authentic methods respects the video creator while still letting you extract useful text from videos.
Copying Text from Facebook Video Ads
The same principles apply when trying to copy text from paid video ads running on Facebook. The key steps include:
- Click the speaker icon to unmute the video ad.
- Enable automatic captions/subtitles if available.
- Highlight and copy text from the on-screen captions.
- Or use keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+Alt+C on Windows, Cmd+Opt+C on Mac) to copy captions.
- If needed, use a third-party downloader or converter to extract subtitles.
Facebook video ads don’t always have captioning enabled. But when they do, the methods above allow you to copy any promotional text, slogans, pricing details, or other text graphics shown on screen or spoken in the ad.
Ethical Usage of Copied Text
When copying text from Facebook videos, be mindful of only using it in appropriate ethical ways, such as:
- Quoting short relevant passages in social media or articles with proper attribution.
- Note taking for educational or personal use.
- Extracting details like event dates, contact info, prices, addresses, etc. contained in ads or announcements.
- Grabbing talking points or ideas for commentary, criticism, or reviews.
Avoid reposting large copied portions, using text out of context, plagiarizing, or repurposing video text without permission. Respect content owners’ rights and the platform terms of service.
Conclusions
In summary, copying text from Facebook videos can be done through:
- Using automatic video transcripts when available.
- Enabling and copying captions/subtitles.
- Browser extensions and online tools.
- Keyboard shortcuts to copy caption text.
- Downloading the video and extracting subtitles.
Look for the “CC” or “Transcript” icons, turn on captions if needed, highlight and copy text only when permitted, and use text appropriately. With the right method and ethics, you can extract text from Facebook videos for your notes, citations, commentary, and other applications.
| Method | How it Works | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video Transcripts | Click the “Transcript” tab on the right of the video player to view extractable text. | – Fast and easy text access – Accurate transcription |
– Only some videos have transcripts |
| Captions/Subtitles | Turn on captioning in the video settings to view extractable text overlays. | – Works for any video – Easy copy/paste |
– Captions aren’t always accurate – Small text can be hard to read |
| Browser Extensions | Add an extension to detect and extract text from the video. | – Convenient access – Works across multiple videos |
– Requires installing extensions – Varying accuracy |
| Online Converters | Copy and paste the video URL into an online tool to extract captions. | – No software required – Grabs hard-to-read text |
– Results vary by site – Multi-step process |
| Download Video File | Use a downloader to save the video and extract subtitles from the file. | – Maximum text accuracy – Works as fallback option |
– Requires apps/software – Time consuming |
Key Takeaways
- Look for the Transcript tab or enable Captions/CC on the video.
- Highlight the text you want and use copy/paste.
- Try browser extensions if the above options don’t work.
- Use online converters or download the video to extract hard-to-read text.
- Only copy and reuse text in lawful and ethical ways.
With the methods outlined above, you should be able to easily copy and paste text from most Facebook videos for your needs. Just be mindful of content ownership and only reuse text appropriately.
Happy copying!