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Guide

How to add captions to a screen recording on iPhone

Updated

To add captions to a screen recording on iPhone, record the screen with the microphone on so your voice is in the recording, then open the recording in CaptionAddr. It transcribes the English speech on your iPhone, lets you fix and style word-by-word captions, and exports a captioned copy to Photos. Recordings up to 2 minutes are free.

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Before you record: get speech into the recording

CaptionAddr makes captions from the English speech in a video’s audio. A screen recording only has speech in it if the microphone was on or the app you recorded played spoken audio. iPhone screen recording leaves the microphone off unless you turn it on, so if you plan to talk over a demo, open the Screen Recording options in Control Center and turn the microphone on before you start.

If a recording has no audible English speech, there is nothing to transcribe and no captions are created. Some apps also don’t allow their video or audio to be recorded.

Caption a screen recording on iPhone

  1. Record with the microphone on. Start a screen recording from Control Center with the microphone turned on, talk through what you’re showing, then stop the recording. iPhone saves it to Photos.
  2. Trim it in Photos. Cut the Control Center swipe at the start and the dead air at the end. Keeping it to 2 minutes or less keeps it on the free plan.
  3. Open it in CaptionAddr. Tap Select Video and choose the recording with Apple’s Photos picker. The original stays in your library.
  4. Let the captions generate. Captions start as soon as the video opens; keep the app open. The English speech is transcribed on your iPhone, not on a server.
  5. Fix app names and terms. In Edit Captions, play through and correct product names, menu labels and jargon the speech model may mishear. Delete filler words if you like.
  6. Keep captions off the part you’re demonstrating. Drag the captions to an area of the screen that doesn’t matter, choose a font and size, and turn on the tinted background so white text stays readable over bright app screens.
  7. Export and check. Tap Export Video to save the captioned copy to Photos, then play the captioned copy to confirm the words don’t hide any button or text you’re pointing at.

Tips for captioned screen recordings

  • Use the tinted background. Captions are white with a dark outline; a tinted background behind each word helps on white app screens and busy pages.
  • Speak clearly and close to the phone. The microphone also picks up room noise, and a clean voice track gives the most accurate captions.
  • Turn on Do Not Disturb. Notifications that appear during the recording become part of the video.
  • Check the timing on the export. Screen recordings can have a variable frame rate, so play the exported copy and confirm the captions stay in time with your voice.
  • Keep your original. CaptionAddr exports a new copy, so you can re-caption the recording later with a different style.

Limits

  • Speech only. CaptionAddr captions spoken English. It doesn’t read or caption on-screen text, and it doesn’t translate.
  • Length. Free covers recordings up to 2 minutes. Longer recordings, up to 30 minutes, need CaptionAddr Pro, an optional monthly or annual subscription through Apple; the App Store shows the current price in your currency.
  • Burned-in captions only. Captions are drawn into the picture; there is no SRT, VTT or text export.
  • Single-word captions. Words appear one at a time, timed automatically; there is no manual per-word timing.
  • No direct posting. CaptionAddr saves to Photos; you share or upload the captioned copy yourself.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add captions to a screen recording on iPhone?

Record the screen with the microphone on, then open the recording from Photos in CaptionAddr. It transcribes the English speech on your iPhone, you edit and style the captions, and you export a captioned copy to Photos.

Why didn’t my screen recording get any captions?

Usually because the recording has no audible speech. iPhone screen recording doesn’t include your voice unless you turn the microphone on in the Screen Recording options in Control Center before recording.

Can CaptionAddr caption the text shown on the screen?

No. It transcribes spoken English from the audio. Text that only appears on screen isn’t read or captioned.

Is it free to caption a screen recording?

Yes, for recordings up to 2 minutes, with every caption style and no required watermark. Recordings up to 30 minutes need CaptionAddr Pro.

Is my screen recording uploaded anywhere?

No. Transcription runs on the device, and CaptionAddr doesn’t send your video, audio or captions to its servers for transcription.