How to Add Text to Instagram Reels

Ever since the release of Instagram Reels (the platform’s answer to TikTok), content creators have been getting excellent results by incorporating the feature into their social media strategies. If you’re looking for more organic reach on Instagram, Reels can be a great way to accomplish that. 

In order to get the most reach and engagement from your Reels, it’s important to follow certain best practices, since Instagram’s algorithm prioritizes content that checks certain boxes. And one of the best ways to make sure that your content performs optimally is by adding text to your Instagram Reels. And we’re here to show you two different ways to accomplish that.

How to Add Text to Instagram Reels

Add Text to Instagram Reels Natively

If you’ve watched many Instagram Reels, you know that many of them feature text on the screen that often functions as a caption or explanation for what the video is about. The best way to add this type of text is directly in the Instagram app. Just follow the steps below:

1. Create your Instagram Reels video

You can film the video directly in the Instagram app by going to your profile, hitting the + icon, and selecting Reel. After filming, you can choose your audio and style your video by trimming the length, changing the speed, and adding effects.

2. Add text to your Instagram Reel

Once you’ve got everything just right, you can click the preview button to see your filmed and edited Instagram Reel. This is where you can add text, just like you would to an Instagram Story. Just tap the Aa icon in the upper-right-hand corner.

3. Style your Instagram Reel text

You can edit your text style (both font and color) by tapping on the icons at the top of the screen. You can also use the icons at the top of the screen to change the alignment of your text and animate your text. Mess around with the tools at the top of the screen to see what works best for your video.

4. Adjust the timing of your Instagram Reel text

Once you’ve styled your text, you can also adjust the timing of how your text appears on screen. All you have to do is tap on the box showing your text at the bottom of the screen. Once you tap it, a movie reel will appear. By moving the edges of the reel, you can pick what point in the video you want your text to appear.

Add Subtitles and Headline Text to Your IG Reels

While Instagram’s in-app ability to add text to your Instagram Reel is incredibly handy, it’s not the only type of text you might want to add to your Instagram Reel. One of the best ways to make your Instagram Reel more eye-catching and engaging (and, therefore, more likely to be favored by Instagram’s algorithm) is by adding a headline and captions to your video. You can use these elements in addition to or in lieu of the text you can add in-app. And you can do it easily with Zubtitle.

With Zubtitle’s state-of-the-art software, you can add headlines and captions to your Instagram Reels (and any other social media videos) with just a few clicks. Here’s a step-by-step walkthrough:

1. Download your Instagram Reel

After you’ve produced and added text to your Instagram Reel in the app, all you have to do is download your video to your device instead of posting it. Just tap the download icon in the top menu. 

Pro tip: Alternatively, you could do this the opposite way and film/edit your video outside of Instagram. Once your video is fully produced and optimized, you could then upload it to Instagram to add music and text in the app. 

2. Upload your video to Zubtitle

Log into your existing Zubtitle account (or create a new one) and upload your Instagram Reels video to your account. Simply click the yellow Add a New Video button on the right-hand side of the screen.

3. Edit your captions

Once you’ve uploaded your video, Zubtitle will automatically transcribe your audio and convert it to timed captions. Then all you have to do is review the captions and make sure everything looks perfect. You can easily adjust the text, add emojis, or shift the timing by pointing and clicking directly in the editor.

4. Add your headline

In the same Text Editor where you review and edit your captions, you'll see a space where you can add your headline. Just type your headline into the space provided and you'll see it appear over your video.

Pro tip: The best headlines should appeal to your target audience and use keywords that will grab their attention. If you’re having trouble coming up with a headline, check out this post for some inspiration.

5. Style your headline

When you're ready to style your headline, just click on the Text Styles option on the right-hand menu bar. Here you can style your headline by choosing a font (or uploading a custom font), changing the font weight and size, adjusting the line height, text box padding, and more.

You can also customize where your title is placed on your video by dragging the dot up or down the Vertical Position scale. If you want more control over where it’s placed, just check the Fine-tune position box. You can also select the alignment of your title so that it’s placed to the left, right, or center.

Once you’re done, you can render and download your Instagram Reels video!

Do you want to add text to Instagram Reels?

Sign up for a free account today to start creating! With our free plan, you can add subtitles to two videos per month. To create up to 10 videos per month (and remove the Zubtitle watermark), check out our standard plan.