Guide
How to add captions to Facebook Reels and Snapchat Spotlight
Updated
To add captions to Facebook Reels or Snapchat Spotlight videos, caption the clip on your iPhone before you post: open it in CaptionAddr, generate word-by-word captions from the English speech, place them in the middle of the frame, clear of each app’s buttons and text, and export. Then upload the captioned copy from Photos. Clips up to 2 minutes are free.
Why burn captions in before posting
Short vertical videos are often watched with the sound off, and captions let people follow from the first word. Captions you burn into the picture look the same on Facebook Reels, Snapchat Spotlight and anywhere else the video goes, with the font, size and position you chose. One captioned copy can be posted to both apps, and to Instagram Reels, TikTok or YouTube Shorts too.
If an app offers its own automatic captions, leave them off for a video that already has burned-in captions so viewers don’t see the words twice.
Caption a Reel or Spotlight video on iPhone
- Start with a vertical clip. Facebook Reels and Snapchat Spotlight are vertical formats. Record in portrait or choose a 9:16 clip, then open it in CaptionAddr with Select Video.
- Let the captions generate. Captions start automatically; the English speech is transcribed on your iPhone.
- Edit the words. In Edit Captions, fix names and slang and delete filler words so the captions stay tight.
- Style for a small screen. Pick a bold font and a large size, and turn on the tinted background if the footage is bright or busy.
- Place captions in the middle band. Drag the captions up from the bottom of the frame, where both apps show the account name and post text, and away from the buttons on the right edge.
- Export and post. Tap Export Video to save the captioned copy to Photos, then create a Reel in Facebook or a Spotlight post in Snapchat and select the captioned video from your library.
Tips for Reels and Spotlight captions
- Get the first words right. Viewers decide quickly whether to keep watching, so check the spelling of the opening words.
- Single words suit fast edits. CaptionAddr shows one word at a time with a subtle pop-in, which is easy to read while the video moves.
- Preview inside each app. CaptionAddr doesn’t draw Facebook’s or Snapchat’s interface over its preview, and the layouts change over time, so check where the buttons fall before you post.
- Use large text. Both apps re-encode uploads, and large words with a dark outline, which CaptionAddr always draws, survive compression better than small ones.
Limits
CaptionAddr captions English speech only and doesn’t translate. It doesn’t post to Facebook or Snapchat for you; you upload the exported video yourself. Free covers clips up to 2 minutes and CaptionAddr Pro covers up to 30 minutes; each app also sets its own maximum length, so check it before you edit. Captions are burned in, with no SRT, VTT or text export.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add captions to a Facebook Reel on iPhone?
Caption the video in CaptionAddr before uploading: generate captions, edit the words, place them in the middle of the frame and export. Then create the Reel in Facebook and choose the captioned copy from Photos.
How do I add captions to a Snapchat Spotlight video?
The same way: caption the clip in CaptionAddr on your iPhone, export it to Photos, then post the captioned copy to Spotlight from your camera roll in Snapchat.
Where should captions go on a vertical video?
In the middle band of the frame. Both apps place the account name and post text along the bottom and buttons down the right edge, which can cover captions placed there.
Can I use the same captioned video on both apps?
Yes. The captions are part of the picture, so one exported copy can be posted to Facebook Reels, Snapchat Spotlight and other short-video apps.
Is it free?
Yes, for clips up to 2 minutes, with no required watermark. Videos up to 30 minutes need CaptionAddr Pro.