TikTok has finally switched on the option to generate subtitles on all the videos the platform hosts. The platform has also added translations.
Back in 2021, TikTok launched the option to add captions to the videos. However, the feature left the responsibility of adding subtitles entirely to content creators. In other words, TikTokers had to transcribe their own videos to generate subtitles.
Although this significantly enhanced the accessibility aspect, viewers were at the mercy of the content creators. If the TikTokers didn’t bother to take the extra effort, their videos remained without captions, and those who needed subtitles were left out.
Moving ahead, viewers will no longer have to wait for a TikToker to enable captions before they can use them. TikTok has delivered quite a few updates. The new additions could also help users overcome the language barrier as well.
With auto-generated captions, users can easily switch on subtitles for any video. This should help viewers, who have hearing issues, or simply want to catch every word of a clip, presumably in a noisy environment. Captions can also help consume content without switching on the audio.
TikTok has also added translations for the AI-generated captions. The AI-generated translations might not work well for every language, but auto-translated captions could help viewers enjoy videos even if they do not understand the spoken words.
Translations also extend to text stickers. Part of TikTok’s appeal is the stickers, and content creators use them liberally. The translation feature should help to ensure viewers do not miss out on non-verbal content as well.
TikTok is currently offering captions and translations for English, German, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish, and Turkish. It is possible the platform will add support for more languages in the near future.