‘Hack of the Day’ is a new series from ‘The Times of India’ that offers quick and practical solutions to common challenges. Each weekday, readers can expect tips designed to save time, reduce costs, or alleviate stress. These hacks leverage accessible tools and features, ranging from government websites to everyday applications. The initiative aims to provide straightforward fixes that promote smarter living.
Here is how to use it
YouTube has been rolling out an audio track feature that lets you switch the language you hear on supported videos, not just the language you read in subtitles, but the actual spoken audio. When it works, it turns a video in Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, or any other supported language into something you can follow as naturally as content made in your own language. No reading along the bottom of the screen. No pausing every thirty seconds. Open the YouTube video you want to watch and let it start playing. Once the video is running, tap the settings icon inside the player, which usually looks like a small gear or cog. In the menu that appears, look for an option called Audio Track. If the video supports alternate audio, this option will be there. If it does not appear, the video does not have additional audio available, and you will need to fall back on subtitles for that one. If you find yourself using this feature regularly, it is worth going into your main YouTube settings and specifying your preferred language for audio tracks. Once that is set, YouTube will automatically default to your chosen language on supported videos without you having to change it manually each time. It is important to keep in mind that features only work with YouTube videos in which the creator has included alternate audio tracks. The feature is not available everywhere yet and also the availability of this functionality varies by region, channel and video. Also, the auto-dubbed audio is not always perfect but YouTube is working on improving the quality. You should also remember that the pacing, pronunciation and tone may slightly feel off in some select videos. But where the feature works, it works very well. And given how much good content exists outside the language you grew up speaking, that is worth a few taps in the settings menu.
Why this is more useful than it sounds
The feature works impeccably when it comes with educational content. The online learning channels, science explainers, history documentaries and skill-based tutorials from creators in different countries and in different languages now become genuinely usable. For instance, if a creator based in Brazil has made the clearest and best explanation of a concept then you will be able to understand it with the help of YouTube’s dubbed feature. You can convert it into English which makes it usable for you.