Everything You Need to Know About Adding Captions to Instagram Videos

Do you want to add captions to videos on Instagram? You're in the right place! Studies show that the average person prefers watching subtitled videos so they can keep the sound off. Plus, captions also make videos accessible to viewers who are Deaf or hard of hearing. In this article, we’ll talk you through the easiest methods for captioning your Instagram videos using the mobile app on iPhone or Android.

The Easiest Way to Add Captions to Instagram Videos

Add captions to your videos on Instagram by using a sticker. When you're editing a video or Reel, tap the sticker icon, then tap the sticker that says, "Captions." Now the audio in your video or Reel will automatically be translated into text! Use the icons at the bottom of your screen to change how the captions appear.

Section 1 of 8:

Using a Sticker

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1
Upload a video. To use the caption sticker, tap the + button at the bottom of the Instagram app, then select Story , Reel , or Post .
- This isn't possible on a computer, so you'll have to use a smartphone or tablet.
- Once you upload a video from your gallery or photo library or record a new video, tap Next to continue to the editing screen.
- This is the easiest and best method to ensure that viewers see the captions on every video you upload or share via Instagram.
2
Tap the sticker button. It looks like a smiley face.
- If you're creating a Reel or Story, the icon is in the top right corner.
- If you're creating a video post, the icon is in the lower left corner.
- If you’re creating a reel, you’ll need to hit the Preview button at the bottom of the screen before you can add captions.
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3
Tap the "CAPTIONS" sticker. Tap the icons at the bottom and top of the preview to change how the font looks.
- Watch the preview to make sure the text is the same as the audio. If it automatically transcribed a word incorrectly, tap on the wrong word to edit it. ^{[1]
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4

Publish the video like you normally would. Tap Done or Next to continue to the next screen, then tap Share or Publish .

Section 2 of 8:

Using Advanced Settings

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1
Create a Reel. Tap the + icon or swipe right to open the camera. Select Reel from the menu dial at the bottom of your screen, then upload or record a video.
- This option will only show captions on your video if the person watching has captions visible. In that case, your video can be seen without captions.
- Tap Next or → to continue to editing your Reel.
2

Tap More options (Android) or Advanced Settings (iPhone). It's next to a gear icon at the bottom of the menu.
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3
Tap the toggle next to "Enable closed captions" to enable it. If the switch is colored and pointing right, the feature is on.
- In this case, any viewers who have captions enabled will see an automatic transcription of the audio in your Reel. However, you cannot edit any words that are incorrectly transcribed.

Section 3 of 8:

Enabling Captions on Already Published Videos

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1
Navigate to the video post. You can find videos that you've published by going to your profile page and looking at your grid. Easily find a video by clicking the Reels tab, which is in the middle of the three icons on your profile.
- Use this method to change settings so your already published video has captions available.
2
Tap ⋮ (Android) or … (iPhone). These three dots are in the top right corner if you're looking through your grid or in the bottom right corner if you're looking through the Reels tab.
- If you're scrolling through the Reels tab, tap Manage to see more options.
3

Tap Edit . It's next to an icon of a pencil.
4

Tap Advanced Settings/More options . It's next to a gear icon at the bottom of the menu. ^{[2]
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5
Tap the toggle next to "Enable closed captions" to enable it. If the switch is colored and pointing right, the feature is on.
- In this case, any viewers who have captions enabled will see an automatic transcription of the audio in your Reel. However, you cannot edit any words that are incorrectly transcribed.

Section 4 of 8:

Enabling Captions for Viewing

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1
Tap your profile picture. It's in the lower right corner of your screen.
- Use this method to turn on captions permanently so you can see them in every Instagram video.
2

Tap ☰ . This three-line menu icon is in the top right corner of your screen.
3

Tap Accessibility . It's under the "Your app and media" header near the bottom of the menu.
4

Tap Captions . It's usually the first option in the menu.
5
Tap the toggle next to "Captions" to enable it. If the switch is colored and pointing right, the feature is on. ^{[3]
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- To only enable captions on specific videos, tap the three-dot menu when you're watching the video, then tap Manage captions and turn the toggle on or off. You'll need to do that for every video on Instagram to see or hide captions.

Section 5 of 8:

Try an Automated Captioning App

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Do this if you’d rather add captions before uploading your video. There are a variety of apps available that can automatically transcribe audio and turn it into captions. Just like with Instagram’s built-in captioning options, these apps typically allow you to edit the captions in case of errors. They may also allow a wider range of customization options, such as a variety of fonts, colors, and caption styles.
- Some popular captioning apps include Clips, Subtitles: Captions for Video, MixCaptions, and Captio.
- Once you’ve added captions to your video using the app of your choice, upload the edited video to Instagram using the Post, Story, or Reels feature.

Section 6 of 8:

Add Captions Manually Using Video Editing Software

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This method helps ensure that your captions are accurate. However, it’s also more complicated and time-consuming than other approaches. Open up a plain text editor such as Notepad or TextEdit. For each line of speech, or any other sounds you’d like to caption, write a sequence number, starting with 1. Under that number, write the time code for the line, marking the start and end times for when you’d like each caption to appear. Then, write the caption text. Insert a blank line after each caption. When you’re done, save the file with an .srt extension.
- The time codes are written in the format hours:minutes:seconds,milliseconds, with the start and end times connected by an arrow with two dashes (-->). For instance, your first line might look like this:
  - 1
  - 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,002
  - This is my first line of dialogue.
- Once you’ve created your caption file, sync it to your video using a video editing app or program such as Camtasia, MovieCaptioner, or Adobe Premier. Follow the instructions in the app to import the file.
- If you’d rather not type out all the captions by hand, you can also use a free website such as Amara.org, Subtitle Horse, or DotSub.com to automatically generate an editable caption file. To use these services, you’ll need to upload the video somewhere first and provide a link.

Section 7 of 8:

Pay for a Third-Party Captioning Service

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These services offer highly accurate captions. If you’re going for a really polished, professional product, there are several websites that offer closed captioning for a low fee. They typically charge a small amount of money per minute of video, and some offer more advanced features such as translations, more detailed audio descriptions, and caption customization options.
- Some popular video captioning services include Rev, GoTranscript, and 3Play Media.
- You may have the option of getting your caption file separately or ordering a video with the captions already built in.
- Depending on how fast you want your captions—and how difficult the audio is to transcribe—you may need to pay some additional fees on top of the base charge per minute of video.

Section 8 of 8:

Include a Descriptive Caption When You Upload Your Video

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This is a good option for videos with no speech. If you’d prefer a simple caption that summarizes what’s happening in the video, you can easily do this during the initial posting process. Tap the + button at the top of the Instagram app, then select Post . Upload a video or capture one with your camera, then tap Next . Add any filters you like, then tap Next again. Finally, tap Write a caption and write any text you like. Tap OK , then Share . ^{[4]
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- This method will display a caption under your video, but won’t add it to the video itself.
- You can also add, edit, or delete a caption after you’ve already posted it. Tap the menu button above the video, then select Edit . Make any changes you’d like to your caption, then tap Done . ^{[5]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

Should you put hashtags on Instagram videos?

Ramin Ahmari
Social Media Expert
Ramin Ahmari is the CEO & Co-Founder of FINESSE, an AI-led fashion house using machine learning on social media to forecast trends & eliminate fashion's problem of overproduction. Before his time at FINESSE, he worked with influencers on growth and sponsorships and has worked with major brands on implementing influencer & marketing strategy by leveraging his expertise in data science & artificial intelligence on social data.

Ramin Ahmari

Social Media Expert

Expert Answer

Definitely—just focus on using specific, creative hashtags that will bring you traffic, rather than using broad, popular tags like "#beauty" or "#fashion." Within seconds, your post will fall thousands of pictures down unless you're already popular on the platform.

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Everything You Need to Know About Adding Captions to Instagram Videos

The Easiest Way to Add Captions to Instagram Videos

Steps

Using a Sticker

Using Advanced Settings

Enabling Captions on Already Published Videos

Enabling Captions for Viewing

Try an Automated Captioning App

Add Captions Manually Using Video Editing Software

Pay for a Third-Party Captioning Service

Include a Descriptive Caption When You Upload Your Video

Expert Q&A

Tips

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