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YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts

Section titled “YouTube Shorts”

Special features for YouTube Shorts with pre-translation for instant subtitles.

Overview

Section titled “Overview”

YouTube Shorts are consumed rapidly with swipe behavior. On-demand translation would be too slow, so Subtide uses a pre-translation system:

  1. Detection - Automatically detects all Shorts in your feed
  2. Pre-translation - Translates 4+ videos ahead in the background
  3. Instant Display - Cached subtitles appear immediately when you swipe

Getting Started

Section titled “Getting Started”
  1. Navigate to YouTube Shorts (youtube.com/shorts/...)
  2. Look for the floating translate button in the bottom-right
  3. Click to enable translation
  4. Subtitles appear on the current video
  5. Swipe to the next Short - subtitles appear instantly!

Controls

Section titled “Controls”

Floating Button

Section titled “Floating Button”

A circular button appears at the bottom-right of each Short:

  • Click to toggle translation on/off
  • Color indicates status:
    • Teal: Active and ready
    • Gray: Disabled
Section titled “Dropdown Menu”

Click the arrow next to the button to access:

  • Language Selection - Quick language picker
  • Subtitle Size - S / M / L / XL options
  • Queue Status - Shows translation progress

Pre-Translation Queue

Section titled “Pre-Translation Queue”

The queue system works in the background:

Queue Status: 4/4 ready


[Current] ✓ Translated
[Next 1]  ✓ Translated
[Next 2]  ✓ Translated
[Next 3]  ✓ Translated
[Next 4]  ⟳ Translating...

Info: How It Works As you watch one Short, Subtide translates the next several videos in the background. When you swipe, subtitles are already cached and appear instantly.

Subtitle Display

Section titled “Subtitle Display”

Positioning

Section titled “Positioning”
  • Default: Centered near the bottom of the video
  • Draggable: Click and drag to move anywhere
  • Reset: Double-click to return to default

Sizing

Section titled “Sizing”

Choose a size that works for the vertical format:

SizeDescription
SMinimal, unobtrusive
MBalanced default
LEasy to read
XLMaximum visibility

Performance Tips

Section titled “Performance Tips”

Optimize Queue Size

Section titled “Optimize Queue Size”

The pre-translation queue loads 4+ videos ahead. For best experience:

  1. Stable connection - Pre-translation needs consistent bandwidth
  2. Watch normally - Don’t skip too fast, let the queue build up
  3. First Short - May take a moment while the queue initializes

Backend Considerations

Section titled “Backend Considerations”

For YouTube Shorts, consider:

  1. Tier 2+ recommended for consistent quality
  2. Fast Whisper model like large-v3-turbo for quick processing
  3. Local backend for lowest latency

Feed Detection

Section titled “Feed Detection”

Subtide automatically detects Shorts in:

  • Direct Shorts URLs (youtube.com/shorts/xxxxx)
  • Shorts tab on channels
  • Shorts appearing in search results
  • Shorts in your home feed

Limitations

Section titled “Limitations”
  1. First video delay - Initial Short may take a moment to translate
  2. Rapid skipping - Skipping very fast may outpace the queue
  3. Live Shorts - Not supported (no audio to transcribe)

Troubleshooting

Section titled “Troubleshooting”

Subtitles not appearing

Section titled “Subtitles not appearing”
  1. Check that the floating button is visible
  2. Ensure translation is enabled (teal color)
  3. Wait a moment for the initial translation
  4. Verify backend is running

Queue not filling

Section titled “Queue not filling”
  1. Check your network connection
  2. Verify backend health at http://localhost:5001/health
  3. Check browser console for errors

Subtitles disappear when swiping

Section titled “Subtitles disappear when swiping”
  1. This means the queue hasn’t caught up
  2. Watch the current Short a bit longer
  3. The queue will pre-translate upcoming videos

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”