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Placed for the Reels safe zone

How to add captions to Instagram Reels

Drop in your Reel and Just Captions transcribes it and lays down clean, readable subtitles — on your iPhone, in about a minute. Free, private, and kept clear of Instagram's caption and action buttons.

Add captions free Try it in your browser
Processed on device Captions in ~1 minute No card to start

The short version: open Just Captions, drop in your clip, and it transcribes the speech and times subtitles to every word automatically. Pick one of 15 caption styles, then export an MP4 with the captions burned in and post it as a Reel. No timeline, no manual typing, on-device transcription available. Most clips are done in about a minute.

Step by step

Caption a Reel in four taps

  1. Add your clipOpen Just Captions and drop in the Reel, or pick up to 20 clips from your camera roll. Vertical 9:16 is handled natively.
  2. Let it captionThe app listens, transcribes the speech on your device, and times clean subtitles to every word. It understands 50+ languages and captions in whatever is spoken.
  3. Pick a styleChoose from 15 caption styles — White box, Yellow box, Gray box or Yellow outline — placed to stay above the caption and action buttons.
  4. Export & postTap any line to fix a name or term, then export a burned-in MP4 and upload it to Instagram.
Growing internationally? Use AI Auto Translate to turn finished captions into another language with the same timing, and post a localised Reel for each audience.
Reels caption specs

Where captions should sit on Reels

Instagram overlays the profile, caption, audio and action buttons over the edges of every Reel. Keep text in the central safe area and it stays readable in-feed and on the Reels tab.

What to setRecommended for Reels
Aspect ratio9:16 vertical (1080 × 1920)
Safe zone — topKeep text out of the top ~14% (profile and "Reels" label)
Safe zone — bottomKeep text out of the bottom ~35% (caption, audio, follow)
Safe zone — rightStay clear of the right edge (like, comment, share, more)
Caption positionCentred, in the middle band of the frame
StyleHigh-contrast fill or outline for busy, colourful backgrounds

Just Captions places presets inside this safe area and sizes them for one-glance reading, so the UI never lands on top of your words.

Burning captions in first

  • Consistent style and placement on every Reel
  • Readable the instant it autoplays on mute
  • Cross-post the same file to TikTok or Shorts
  • Fix a misheard brand name once, everywhere

Instagram's captions sticker

  • Locked to Instagram's preset styles
  • Can drift into the UI or get re-positioned
  • Doesn't travel when you re-use the file
  • Editing long passages gets tedious
FAQ

Reels captions, answered

Does Instagram add captions to Reels automatically?
Instagram offers a captions sticker that auto-generates subtitles, but it uses Instagram's styles and can shift with the UI. Burning captions in first with Just Captions gives you consistent, readable subtitles you control — and they travel with the file when you cross-post.
What is the safe zone for Instagram Reels?
Keep important elements out of the top ~14% and bottom ~35% of the frame, where Instagram overlays the profile, caption, audio and action buttons. Just Captions places subtitles inside that central safe area automatically.
Is it free to caption a Reel?
Yes. You can caption up to three videos a day free, with a watermark and no account, and on-device recognition keeps processing local; cloud features are optional.
Can I make a translated version of my Reel?
Yes. AI Auto Translate turns finished captions into another language while keeping the original timing, so you can post a localised Reel for a second audience.
Keep going

Captions for every feed

Captions for TikTokSafe zones and styling tuned for TikTok.Read →
Captions for YouTube ShortsGet subtitles right for the Shorts player.Read →
Free online subtitle toolCaption a clip in your browser, no install.Try it →

Caption your next Reel. That's it.

Three videos a day free, no card, on-device transcription available. Drop in a clip and watch the captions write themselves.

Download on theApp Store

Just Captions 2.6: three videos a day free, with a watermark. Choose from 15 styles: seven static styles are free; animated styles require Pro, with one free single-video Emoji export. Pro removes the watermark. On-device transcription is available after the model download. Optional cloud recognition sends audio for processing; AI editing and translation send caption text. These online features need a connection.

Compare options for your workflow: Captions app alternative, Submagic alternative, or CapCut alternative for captions.