Guide
How to translate a Zoom meeting live in the browser
Join Zoom in Chrome or Edge, capture the meeting tab with TanLens, and read translated captions. Save and export the transcript afterwards.
To translate a Zoom meeting, join it at zoom.us in Chrome or Edge, capture the meeting tab with the TanLens extension, and choose the target language. Captions appear while people speak, and the transcript can be edited and exported when the call ends. The desktop Zoom client is a different path, because its audio is not in a browser tab.
01Before the meeting starts
Install the TanLens extension in Chrome or Edge, open the popup, and sign in so the session can use your minutes. Run a two-minute test meeting with yourself: start capture, speak a sentence, and check that the original and translation both appear. Use headphones if the room has echo, and close other tabs that play music or notifications. In Zoom’s web client, open the audio settings and confirm the correct microphone and speaker before the host starts.
02During and after the call
Start the tab session when the meeting begins and keep the caption panel visible beside the video. If a name or product term is coming up, add it to a glossary before the call; changing it mid-session is less reliable than preparing it in advance. When the call ends, press Finish and save, then correct the segments that matter for your notes. Export SRT for a recording, VTT for a web page, or TXT for a follow-up email. Review the transcript before quoting anyone.
How to do it
- 1Open zoom.us in Chrome or Edge and join the meeting in the web client.
- 2Keep the Zoom tab active and press Start in the TanLens extension.
- 3Set the spoken language or auto-detect, then choose the target language.
- 4Finish the session, save the transcript, correct names, and export the format you need.
Frequently asked questions
Related pages
Put words on the screen tonight
Twenty free minutes a month, no card, no meeting bot. Start with your microphone, then add the extension for tab audio.