MOV to text

Transcribe MOV for iPhone videos, QuickTime recordings, and screen captures

MOV is the Apple video format from iPhones and QuickTime. SnailText transcribes the audio from a MOV locally and can export SRT or VTT subtitles, on Mac and Windows.

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Transcribe MOV and every other format, locally

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What is an MOV file?

MOV is Apple's QuickTime video container, the default for iPhone video and Mac screen recordings. It is very similar to MP4 under the hood. If you shoot video on an iPhone or record your screen on a Mac, you have MOV files.

How to convert MOV to text

SnailText turns a MOV into text locally, in four steps:

Open the Transcribe files screen in SnailText.
Drop in your MOV file, or a whole folder of them.
Pick your output: plain text, Markdown, JSON, or SRT / VTT subtitles.
Run it. The transcript is saved next to your files or wherever you choose.

The Whisper speech model transcribes on your own machine, so the audio never leaves your computer and there is no per-minute charge. MOV is a video format, so SnailText uses a codec pack it downloads once inside the app. After that one-time download it works offline, and transcription runs fully on your machine.

You have a MOV from an iPhone or a Mac screen recording and want a transcript or captions. SnailText extracts the speech and transcribes it locally, then can write SRT or VTT subtitles, and it works on Windows too. Video formats use a one-time codec pack downloaded inside the app.

MOV to text and captions, free and without uploading

Most "mov to text online" tools upload your file to a server and cap you at a few minutes unless you pay. SnailText is the opposite: it transcribes MOV on your device, so nothing is uploaded, there is no length limit beyond your own memory, and the free tier has no per-minute meter. That makes it a fit for anything sensitive, recordings with names, client video, or private notes, where sending the file to a web service is the thing you want to avoid.

Generate SRT and VTT subtitles from MOV

The most common reason to transcribe MOV is captions. Pick SRT or VTT before the run and SnailText writes a subtitle file you can drop straight onto the video. It also exports plain text if you just want the transcript:

· SRT and VTT subtitles with phrase-level timestamps, ready to drop onto a video.
· Plain text (TXT) for a clean transcript you can read, search, and edit.
· Markdown with a heading per file, handy for notes and docs.
· JSON for feeding the transcript into your own scripts or tools.

Try it on your own files

Download for Mac

Transcribe MOV and every other format, locally

What people transcribe from MOV

iPhone video

"Transcribe a MOV shot on an iPhone and export subtitles for it."

Mac screen recording

"Turn a MOV screen capture into a written transcript."

Interview clip

"Generate SRT captions from a MOV interview before sharing it."

MOV to text FAQ

How do I transcribe a MOV file to text?

Add the MOV to SnailText's Transcribe files screen and choose your output (text, or SRT / VTT for subtitles). It extracts the audio and transcribes it locally with the Whisper model, no upload. MOV and other video formats use a one-time codec pack the app downloads for you.

Can I transcribe an iPhone MOV video on Windows?

Yes. MOV is an Apple format, but SnailText reads it on both Mac and Windows. So a video shot on an iPhone can be transcribed or captioned on a Windows PC without converting it first.

Is MOV transcription free?

SnailText's free tier transcribes locally with the compact Whisper models, no account and no per-minute meter. Pro adds the larger, more accurate models and an optional on-device AI cleanup pass, $7.49/mo or $89/yr for up to 3 devices.

Can I transcribe a whole folder at once?

Yes. Drop a folder (or several files) into the Transcribe files screen and SnailText processes them one after another, writing a transcript for each. It scans the files directly in the folder. You can also drag and drop files straight in.

Can I get SRT or VTT subtitles?

Yes. Pick SRT or VTT as the output before you run the transcription and SnailText writes a subtitle file with phrase-level timestamps. Choose it up front, since subtitles are produced during the run. You can also export plain text, Markdown, or JSON.

What languages can it transcribe?

SnailText transcribes in the full set of Whisper languages (99), and can auto-detect the language or let you pick. Everything runs locally, so multilingual transcription works with no internet after the model is downloaded.

Transcribe other formats

Transcribe MOV on your own machine

Free local transcription, no account needed. MOV to text, plus SRT and VTT subtitles, on Mac and Windows.

Download for Mac Or for Windows →