How to Enable Auto-generated Captions on Instagram Videos?
Aside from admiring aesthetic photos on Instagram, you can also watch videos on the platform. And Instagram made a bold move to focus its efforts on video content instead of photos like it used to. So, watching videos on the platforms may become the main thing you do on Instagram.
Videos are best enjoyed with sounds. Unfortunately, some situations prevent you from turning the volume up. For example, you may be enjoying your break at work where others may still be working. Or it could be nighttime, and you don't want to wake your roommates.
Also, not all users on Instagram have perfect hearing. Some are deaf or members of hard-of-hearing communities. So, they may not hear or have trouble hearing the sounds in a video.
Thankfully, Instagram launched a handy accessibility feature in March 2022. It launched its own auto-generated captions on videos in your feed. Adam Mosseri, the company's head, acknowledged that it was a long time coming. And while they would not admit it, it's another move to keep up with TikTok. Instagram is trying to overthrow TikTok as the king of short-form video platforms through Reels. And TikTok has had this feature since last year.
Before that update, creators on Instagram had to add captions themselves. That's a time-consuming task. With this feature, the process is streamlined. Also, it makes Instagram more friendly toward deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
As of this writing, auto-generated captions are available in seventeen languages. That includes:
- English
- Spanish
- Portuguese
- French
- Thai
- Arabic
- Vietnamese
- Italian
- German
- Turkish
- Russian
- Tagalog
- Urdu
- Malay
- Indonesian
- Japanese
Instagram says it plans to add support to more languages in the future. Also, the feature is not yet perfect, as the AI is still learning. But as more people use the feature, the quality of the auto-generated captions should improve.
So, how do you use this feature? Here's a guide for that.
How To Turn On/Off Auto-Generated Captions
You may be confused, and you're asking why you don't have this feature. You have seen several videos since march, and none of those have auto-generated captions. Probably, you also have access to this feature, but you haven't activated it yet. Yes, by default, auto-generated captions are turned off. But don't worry. Turning this feature on is super easy.
First, launch the Instagram app on your smartphone and log into your account if you haven't yet. You can see your profile picture in the bottom right corner of your screen. Tap that to go to your profile page.
Next, tap the hamburger button at the top right corner of the screen. Select “Settings.” Choose “Account” and then “Captions.” Toggle it on.
And there you go. The video posts you watch on your Instagram feed will show auto-generated captions.
You can follow the same exact steps to toggle the feature off.
How To Turn On Auto-Generated Captions For A Specific Video
Auto-generated captions are great when you need them. But when they are not necessary, having the feature on can lead to frustration. The text could be blocking the view. Thankfully, Instagram allows you to use auto-generated captions for a single video.
Here is what to do if you don't want auto-generated captions in every video you see on Instagram.
Open the video that you want to watch. Tap on the kebab menu on the video's top right corner – opposite the creator's username. You will see the “Manage captions” option if the video supports captions. Tap on that.
Toggle “Captions” on. Below that part, Instagram will tell you what language the caption will be in. You can't change what's in there. Instagram says it depends on the language you set for your device.
Tap anywhere on the screen to remove the settings from view. And there you go. You have successfully turned on captions for that specific video and nothing else.
How To Post Videos With Captions
Auto-generated captions make things a lot easier for content creators concerned about accessibility. Now, adding captions to videos is no longer a DIY project. They simply have to turn the feature on.
Here's what you need to do to add auto-generated captions to your videos.
Start by composing a post on Instagram as you normally would. Tap on the “+” icon at the top right of the screen. Then, select “Post.” Upload a video from your gallery or record one using Instagram's native camera tool. Don't forget to speak on the video because auto-generated captions use speech-recognition technology.
Apply some edits if you want to. When done, tap “Next.” Then, choose “Advanced Settings.”
Find the Accessibility section on the Advanced Settings page. Toggle on the “Show Captions” options. That will effectively add auto-generated captions to your post. Proceed to post your video.
You could add or remove captions later if you forgot to toggle the setting on/off before posting the video. Tap on the kebab menu on the top right of the video to access the Advanced Settings.
How To Add Auto-Generated Captions to Reels and Stories
You can also add auto-generated captions to Reels and Stories via Caption Stickers. Start by clicking the “+” button at the top right corner of the screen. Select “Story” or “Reel,” depending on what you want to do.
Select a video from your gallery or record a new one using the Instagram app camera. Again, don't forget to speak. While editing the video, click on the sticker icon. Then, find the sticker that says “Captions.” Put that in your video. That will add auto-generated captions to your Reel or Story.
Unfortunately, this feature is not yet available in all countries. Only people from English-speaking countries have access to it.
A Useful Feature
That concludes our guide. Auto-generated captions make your videos more accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Adding them also allows people who can't play sounds due to different circumstances to enjoy your videos. So, it is highly recommended that you add auto-generated captions to your videos.
Why You Should Try Enabling Instagram's Auto-Caption Feature
There are a few reasons why you might want to consider enabling auto-captions on Instagram:
- To make your content more accessible: Auto-captions can help make your content more accessible to a wider audience, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing, those who speak different languages, and those who may have difficulty understanding spoken content. By enabling auto-captions, you can help ensure that your content is accessible to everyone.
- To improve the user experience: Auto-captions can also improve your followers' overall experience. They can help people better understand your content and follow along with your videos, which can make for a more engaging and enjoyable viewing experience.
- To reach a wider audience: By making your content more accessible and improving the user experience, you can potentially reach a broader audience on Instagram. This can help you grow your following and increase the reach of your content.
- To comply with accessibility laws: Finally, enabling auto-captions can also help you comply with accessibility laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Many businesses and organizations must make their content accessible to those with disabilities, and auto-captions can help you meet this requirement.
Overall, there are several reasons why you might want to consider enabling auto-captions in Instagram. By making your content more accessible, improving the user experience, reaching a wider audience, and complying with accessibility laws, you can potentially benefit from using this feature.
Date: December 23, 2022 / Categories: Tips, / Author: Rich Drees
