How to burn captions into a video

Burned-in captions — also called open or hardcoded captions — are rendered straight into the video frames, so they can't be switched off and always show when a clip autoplays. They consistently get more watch time than platform auto-captions. Here's the fast way to do it on iPhone.

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The short version: burned-in captions are permanently part of the video, so they display on every platform, on autoplay, and survive re-posting. Just Captions burns them in automatically: drop in a clip, it transcribes the speech on your device and times the text, then you export an MP4 with the captions baked in.

Step by step

Burn captions in, in four taps

Add your clipOpen Just Captions and drop in the video. Any aspect ratio works, so the same clip is ready for TikTok, Reels, Shorts or a feed post.
Auto-transcribeThe app transcribes the speech on your device and times subtitles to every word — no manual typing or timeline work.
Style for legibilityPick a high-contrast preset so the text survives busy backgrounds once it's baked into the frame.
Export the baked-in MP4Export and the captions are permanently rendered into the video, ready to upload anywhere.

Open vs closed

Burned-in vs closed captions

"Burning in" means open captions — permanently part of the picture. Closed (soft) captions are a separate track the viewer or platform can toggle.

Question	Burned-in (open) captions
Always visible?	Yes — rendered into the frame, so they show even on autoplay with sound off.
Can a viewer turn them off?	No. That's the point for social — the message lands every time.
Do they survive re-posting?	Yes. Because they're part of the file, they travel to any platform you re-upload to.
Best use	Short social video (TikTok, Reels, Shorts) where autoplay-on-mute is the norm.

Tip: for a website or YouTube, you can also keep a separate caption file for accessibility and search — but for social, burned-in wins.

Burned-in (open) captions

Always on — no toggle, no settings
Readable the instant a clip autoplays on mute
Travel with the file to any platform
Get the most watch time on social

Closed / soft captions

Viewer or platform can switch them off
Styled by the platform, not by you
May not appear on autoplay
Lost when the raw file is re-shared

FAQ

Burned-in captions, answered

What does burning captions into a video mean?

It means rendering the subtitles permanently onto the video frames — also called open or hardcoded captions. They become part of the picture instead of a separate track.

Do burned-in captions get more views?

They tend to earn more watch time on social because they're visible the moment a clip autoplays on mute, when viewers decide whether to keep watching.

Can I remove burned-in captions later?

No — once they're baked in they're permanent. Keep your original clip if you might want a clean version, then export a captioned copy.

How do I burn captions in on iPhone without uploading?

Just Captions transcribes and renders on your device, so the video isn't uploaded to a server. Drop in the clip, pick a style, and export the baked-in MP4.

Burn in your captions. In a minute.

Free to start, no card, nothing uploaded. Drop in a clip and watch the captions write themselves.

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