Guide
How to add captions to a reaction or commentary video on iPhone
Updated
To add captions to a reaction or commentary video on iPhone, open the clip in CaptionAddr, let it transcribe the English speech on the iPhone, delete any words from the original video you don’t want captioned, fix names and terms in Edit Captions, place the captions clear of the clip you’re reacting to and export a captioned copy to Photos. Videos up to 2 minutes are free; CaptionAddr Pro covers up to 30 minutes.
Why caption reaction videos
Reactions to trailers, news stories, sports moments and other videos are often watched in feeds with the sound off. Captions let viewers follow your take without sound, and they help viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing.
This guide is for clips where you talk over or after another video: a split-screen reaction, a commentary voiceover or a talking-head response. For reactions over gameplay, see the gaming clip guide; for sit-down conversations, the podcast clip guide. CaptionAddr burns the captions into the picture, so they show wherever you post.
Caption a reaction video on iPhone
- Keep your voice on top. Play the original video quieter than your voice while you record, and pause it when you make a longer point. Captions come from the speech in the clip.
- Choose the video. Tap Select Video in CaptionAddr and pick the finished reaction 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.
- Choose whose words to show. CaptionAddr captions all the English speech it hears, including speech in the video you’re reacting to. In Edit Captions, delete words you don’t want captioned, and fix names, titles and slang. 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 busy footage, and drag the captions clear of your face and the clip you’re reacting to.
- 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 reaction captions
- Pause to talk. When you and the original video speak at once, words can be missed or merged, so pause the original for your main points.
- Start on your take. Begin the clip on your strongest line so the first captioned words give viewers a reason to stay.
- Fix only real mistakes. Correct misheard words so the captions match what was said, rather than rewording quotes.
- Follow each platform’s rules. Check the rules of the app you post to for reaction and commentary content.
- Keep your original. CaptionAddr exports a new copy and leaves the original clip in your library.
Limits
- Speech only. CaptionAddr captions spoken English. It doesn’t caption music or sound effects, and it doesn’t read text shown on screen.
- No voice separation. The app doesn’t separate your voice from the original video’s audio or change the audio; deleting a word removes it from the captions only.
- English only. CaptionAddr transcribes English speech and doesn’t translate.
- Single-word captions. Words appear one at a time, timed automatically, always in uppercase; there are no speaker labels, full-sentence layouts or manual per-word timing, and you can only fix, delete or reorder the transcribed words.
- 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 or build split-screen layouts.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add captions to a reaction video on iPhone?
Make your reaction clip, open it in CaptionAddr, generate captions on your iPhone, delete any words you don’t want captioned and fix names in Edit Captions, then choose a style and export a captioned copy to Photos.
Why are words from the original video in my captions?
CaptionAddr captions all the English speech in the clip, not just yours. Delete those words in Edit Captions if you only want your commentary captioned. The audio doesn’t change.
Can it show which words are mine and which are from the clip?
No. CaptionAddr shows the spoken words one at a time and doesn’t add speaker labels or separate styles for different voices.
Can CaptionAddr make the split-screen reaction for me?
No. CaptionAddr captions a finished video. Make the reaction layout in your camera or editing app first, save it to Photos, then caption it.
Will there be a watermark on my video?
No watermark is required. A small CaptionAddr watermark is optional and off unless you turn it on.