Guide
How to add captions to a DIY or how-to tutorial on iPhone
Updated
To add captions to a DIY or how-to tutorial on iPhone, open the narrated clip in CaptionAddr, let it transcribe your English speech on the iPhone, check tool names, materials and measurements in Edit Captions, drag the captions clear of your hands and the work and export a captioned copy to Photos. Videos up to 2 minutes are free; CaptionAddr Pro covers up to 30 minutes.
Why caption a how-to tutorial
People watch home repair, craft, gardening and makeup tutorials while they work, often in a noisy room or with the sound off. Captions let them read each step, part name and measurement as you say it, and they help viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing.
This guide is for hands-on tutorials filmed with a camera, whether you talk while you work or add a voiceover. For recipes, see the cooking guide; for app walkthroughs, the screen recording guide; and for showing off a product you sell, the product demo guide. CaptionAddr burns the captions into the picture, so they show wherever you post.
Caption a DIY tutorial on iPhone
- Record your narration clearly. Keep the phone or a microphone close while you talk, and pause loud tools such as drills, sanders or hair dryers while you explain a step.
- Choose the video. Tap Select Video in CaptionAddr and pick the clip with Apple’s Photos picker. Vertical, square and landscape videos all work, and the video keeps its shape.
- 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.
- Check tools, materials and measurements. In Edit Captions, correct tool names, product and plant names, shade names, sizes and numbers. You can edit, delete and reorder words, with undo and redo.
- Style and place the captions. Choose one of the 20 fonts and a size that reads on a phone, turn on the tinted background over a busy workbench or garden, and drag the captions away from your hands and the thing you’re working on.
- Export and post. Tap Export Video to save the captioned copy to Photos, then upload it to TikTok, Reels, Shorts or any other app. The watermark is off unless you turn it on.
Tips for tutorial captions
- Name each step out loud. Saying “Step two, sand the edge” gives viewers a clear marker in the captions.
- Say numbers in full. Clear measurements, sizes and times are easier to transcribe and to check; fix any that come out wrong.
- Talk between noisy parts. The app doesn’t remove noise, so tool noise under your voice can cause missed words. Explain, then cut or sand.
- Record a voiceover if it’s easier. If your hands are busy or the room is loud, film first and add your narration in a video editor, then caption the finished clip.
- Keep your original. CaptionAddr exports a new copy and leaves the original in your library.
Limits
- Captions from speech only. CaptionAddr captions what is said. It can’t add step titles, labels, arrows or measurements you didn’t say, and you can only fix, delete or reorder the transcribed words; you can edit, delete and reorder the transcribed ones.
- English only. CaptionAddr transcribes English speech and doesn’t translate.
- No noise or music removal. The app doesn’t clean up tool noise or background music or change the audio.
- Single-word captions. Words appear one at a time, timed automatically, always in uppercase; full-sentence layouts and manual per-word timing aren’t available.
- Length. Free covers videos up to 2 minutes; CaptionAddr Pro covers up to 30 minutes. The App Store shows the current Pro price in your currency.
- Burned-in captions only. There is no SRT, VTT or text export, and the app doesn’t post to social platforms.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add captions to a DIY tutorial on iPhone?
Open the narrated clip in CaptionAddr, generate captions on your iPhone, check tool names and measurements in Edit Captions, choose a readable style, drag the captions clear of your hands and export a captioned copy to Photos.
Does it work for crafts, gardening and makeup tutorials?
Yes. CaptionAddr works on any video with spoken English, whatever the topic. Check brand, plant and shade names, which are the words most likely to need correcting.
Can I caption a tutorial with a voiceover?
Yes. If the voiceover is part of the video’s audio, CaptionAddr transcribes it like any other speech. Add the voiceover in your video editor first, then caption the finished clip.
Will it caption a video with no talking?
No. Captions come from speech, so a silent or music-only tutorial has nothing to caption. The app shows a message when it finds no English speech.
How long can my tutorial be?
Free covers videos up to 2 minutes. CaptionAddr Pro covers videos up to 30 minutes, enough for a full project walkthrough.