Incorporation subtitles on Instagram videos has become one of the best practices for content creators, brands and users who want to expand the scope of their publications and facilitate accessibility. Currently, this feature not only improves the viewing experience in noisy places, but also allows people with hearing impairments to fully enjoy the content.
In addition, generating subtitles increases interaction, increases audience retention on your videos and improves understanding of the message, even for those who don't speak the video's original language. And the best part is that Instagram offers native and automatic methods for adding subtitles, as well as allowing manual options and more advanced external tools for those looking to further personalize their posts.
In this complete tutorial you will learn How to add subtitles to your videos on Instagram using the features the platform offers for free, how to edit them, what alternatives exist with third-party apps, and why it's essential to include them in your social media strategy.
Discover everything you need to know to get the most out of the captions on Instagram and get your content as far and wide as possible.
Advantages of adding subtitles to your Instagram videos
- Accessibility and inclusion: They facilitate access to content for people with hearing disabilities and those who prefer reading instead of listening.
- Better experience in noisy environments: Users can follow the video even if they can't turn on the sound.
- Global reach: They allow people from different parts of the world to understand the content, even if they don't master the language spoken in the video.
- Retention and engagement: Subtitled videos retain more attention of the user, which translates into greater interaction, views and followers.
- Optimization for algorithms: Instagram values view time and engagement, with full-length or subtitled videos being the most popular.
Options for adding subtitles on Instagram
Instagram offers several ways to add subtitles to videos. You can do this automatically using the app's native features, edit them manually or turn to external applications if you're looking for more customization. It's important to understand each option to choose the one that best suits your needs.
- Automatic generation of native Instagram captions: This is the easiest and fastest option. The built-in AI feature transcribes the audio from your videos and displays it as subtitles, ready for review and editing before posting. This option is available on Reels, Stories, and regular video posts.
- Manual subtitles: You can write your own captions, sentence by sentence, directly in the app before posting your video, or use video editing tools to add them, export the video, and then upload it to Instagram.
- Third-party tools and apps: If you are looking for advanced editing options, customization of fonts, colors or animations, there are video editing applications like App to make Reels with automatic, manual, and editing captioning features. These clips can be exported with embedded captions and easily uploaded to Instagram.
We'll show you how to take advantage of each method, focusing especially on native options and how to customize subtitles to fit the style of your content.
Detailed steps to add subtitles to your Instagram videos (Native Method)
- Open the Instagram app and sign in to your account.
- Tap the button to create a new Reel, Story, or video for your feed. You can record content directly from your camera roll or upload it from your gallery.
- Finish recording or uploading, then click “Next.”
- On the editing screen, locate the stickers icon (a square with a smiley face) at the top.
- In the pop-up menu, select the “Subtitles” option (or “Captions” if you have the app in English).
- Instagram will start analyzing audio with artificial intelligence now transcribe it to text. Wait a few seconds for the process to complete.
- When the transcript is ready, you will be able to preview subtitles on the video and access the editing menu to correct words or phrases if necessary.
- You can move, resize, and customize the appearance of subtitles to match the style of your video. Some options allow you to choose compatible colors and fonts.
- Finish the process by clicking "Done." If you'd like, add other visual elements or effects before publishing.
- Publish the video so your followers can watch it with subtitles already included.
Do not forget that automatic subtitles They may not be accurate depending on pronunciation, audio quality, or background noise. Therefore, it's recommended to review and edit before posting.
How to enable subtitles from your Instagram account settings
Instagram allows users to activate automatic display of subtitles on all videos playing in your feed. This option is especially useful for those who prefer to always read text, have accessibility needs, or frequently watch content without sound.
- Access your Instagram profile.
- Press the menu icon (three horizontal lines at the top right).
- Choose Configuration.
- Enter the section Account and then click Subtitles.
- Activate the "Show subtitles" option. If available, choose the subtitle language.
This setting will cause Instagram to display captions on all videos (if the creator has enabled them on their posts). You can disable this feature at any time by following the same steps.
Add automatic subtitles to videos in your feed, Reels, and Stories
Instagram has been gradually expanding its automatic captioning features, which are now available for videos in the feed, Reels, and Stories. The operation is very similar in all cases, although the location of the option may vary slightly:
- On the video publishing screen, look for the section Advanced settings (before publishing).
- Accede to Accessibility and activate the option “Show automatic subtitles”.
- In some cases, if you've already posted the video and forgot to enable the feature, you can go to the three-dot menu in the post, tap "Edit," and enable subtitles if the option is available.
Please note that automatic subtitle generation depends on the languages supported by Instagram and the audio quality. The platform frequently adds new languages to increase accessibility.
How to edit and customize automatically generated subtitles
The automatic captioning feature is very useful, but it can occasionally cause transcription errors. Instagram offers tools to review and correct any words or sentences before sharing the video.
- Preview your video before publishing. You'll see the generated subtitles overlaid.
- If you find any errors, click directly on the incorrect word or phrase.
- The keyboard will open so you can edit the text as you wish. You can correct, shorten, or expand the subtitle content.
- Click “Done” when you’re finished editing.
- Repeat the process for each segment of text that needs correction.
- Once you've reviewed all your subtitles and they're correct, publish your video or Reel.
You can also customize the visual style of your subtitles: change the size, location on the screen, and, in some cases, the color and font, so they blend in with the aesthetics of your video.
If automatic captions aren't appearing, make sure you have the latest version of the app and that your account is set to allow this feature.
Alternative Methods: Add Subtitles to Your Instagram Videos with External Apps
If you want a greater level of customization, animated subtitles, special transitions, or automatic translations, you can use external tools before uploading your video to Instagram. Among the most popular and effective are:
- Filmora: It offers a powerful "Speech-to-Text" feature that automatically transcribes audio, allows you to edit subtitles, choose font styles, animations, and adjust the duration of each text segment. Once finished, you can export the video and share it on Instagram.
- CapCut: Very popular among Reel creators, it allows you to generate accurate automatic subtitles and customize them with different styles, colors, and effects.
- InShot: Allows you to add subtitles manually, choosing the position, size, font style and colors.
The general process is:
- Open your external video editor and load the video you want to subtitle.
- Use the automatic or manual captioning feature to transcribe the audio.
- Customize the look, edit the text, and make sure each subtitle syncs well with the content.
- Export the video with integrated subtitles and import it to Instagram to publish.
This option is especially useful if you want to upload videos in multiple languages, include your own branding or visual style, or need more control over editing.
Languages and compatibility for automatic captions on Instagram
The function of automatic Instagram captions It's available in a wide variety of languages, including Spanish, English, Portuguese, French, Italian, German, Arabic, Japanese, and more, with the list expanding over time. However, availability may vary by region and account type (personal, professional, or business).
- If the feature doesn't appear in your app yet, check that it's up to date and wait for new updates.
- In some cases, subtitles are only available for certain formats (for example, Reels or videos longer than one minute).
- If your video uses multiple languages, Instagram will attempt to transcribe based on the predominant language.
- Some accessibility features, such as changing the subtitle language or automatically translating subtitles, may be available in future updates.
How to turn subtitles on or off for videos you watch on Instagram
It's not just creators who can add subtitles: as a viewer, you can choose to watch Instagram videos with subtitles as long as the video has them enabled. To do this:
- While watching a video, tap the three dots (menu) on the video.
- Select “Manage subtitles” or “Show subtitles” if available.
- You can turn subtitles on or off as you wish, or choose the language when available.
This option is very useful for people who watch videos in public spaces, on public transport, or in environments where they can't turn on the audio.
Tips and best practices for subtitling your Instagram videos
- Always check the automatic transcription: Correct pronunciation errors, proper names, technical terms, or local expressions.
- Take care of contrast and readability: Choose colors and font sizes that match the video background to make your subtitles easy to read.
- Synchronization: Make sure the text appears at the same pace as the audio, avoiding subtitles that fade out too quickly or remain on the screen for too long.
- Customize the style: If you use third-party apps, take advantage of animations, original fonts, and integration with your branding to stand out.
- Keep the message clear and direct: Simplify long or redundant sentences to facilitate immediate understanding.
- Thinking about the international audience: Consider adding subtitles in different languages if you have followers from all over the world.
Frequently Asked Questions About Instagram Captions
- Can subtitles be added to older, previously published videos?
Yes, in some cases, you can edit your already published videos and add automatic subtitles from the options menu, provided the feature is available for that format. In other cases, you'll need to delete the video and re-upload it with subtitles. - Do Instagram captions automatically translate into other languages?
Currently, the native feature only transcribes text in the video's language. It doesn't automatically translate into other languages, although future updates may add this feature. You can use third-party apps to translate and subtitle before publishing. - Can I hide the subtitles if I don't want to see them?
Yes, you can turn subtitles on or off from your account settings or from the menu for each video, depending on your preferences. - Do subtitles affect reach or engagement?
Yes, it's proven that subtitled content retains users more, improves view-through rates, and boosts engagement, especially on mobile social networks where audio is often disabled by default. - Is it possible to fully customize the subtitles?
Native options offer basic customization (position and size), but if you want animations, advanced fonts, or custom colors, you'll need to use external editors like The best apps to generate subtitles automatically. - What do I do if the generated subtitles have serious errors?
You should review and correct them manually before publishing. Good pronunciation and reducing background noise improve the accuracy of automatic transcription.
Captioning on Instagram is much more than a simple visual tool: it's the gateway to new audiences, the key to improving accessibility, and a powerful strategy to stand out on the platform. Take advantage of the different options to add subtitles to your Instagram videosReview the automatic transcripts, edit and customize them to your style, and don't miss the opportunity to increase the impact of your content. This way, you'll get more people to enjoy, understand, and share your posts, regardless of the environment or language or accessibility barriers.
