Platform
TanLens on Windows: tab, mic and system audio
Use TanLens in Chrome or Edge on Windows for tab and microphone captions, with transcripts, glossaries and subtitle exports.
TanLens runs on Windows through Chrome or Edge, with the extension adding tab audio capture and the web app handling everything else. TanLens does not capture whole-system audio directly. For audio from a native app, a virtual loopback device can feed it into microphone mode, which is a separate setup from tab capture.
01Browser sessions on Windows
Install the extension in Chrome or Edge, sign in, keep the meeting or video tab active, and press Start. Captions appear in the floating panel, and only that tab’s audio is captured. Microphone mode covers rooms and headsets, and file transcription handles recordings without any capture at all. Windows does not need a separate TanLens installer, so updates arrive with the web app and the extension package.
02System audio and protected content
When the source is a desktop app rather than a tab, TanLens has no direct system-audio mode. Install a virtual audio cable, set it as the output for that app, and choose the cable as the microphone input in TanLens. Use headphones so the room does not hear the same audio twice, and keep the virtual cable out of your meeting microphone path. Protected apps and DRM services may behave unpredictably, so test the exact app and title before an important session.
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.