Ever noticed how your thumb stops scrolling when you see captions on a TikTok? That's no accident. For video creators, captions aren't just a nice-to-have feature—they're practically mandatory.

The reality is most people watch TikTok with the sound off (we've all been caught scrolling in meetings). Captions ensure your message gets through—whether viewers are in silent mode, have hearing impairments, or simply process information better when reading along.

There's also the not-so-small matter of the algorithm: TikTok videos with captions increase impressions by 55%. Even TikTok itself is practically begging you to use them.

Adding captions is an extra step, sure. But it's a small effort for a major payoff. In this guide, we'll walk you through three straightforward ways to add captions to TikTok—whether directly in the app or using a tool like Descript to save your sanity.

How to add captions to TikTok: 3 easy methods

There are three main ways you can add captions to your TikTok videos:

• Use the auto-caption tool
• Add them manually
• Use an editing tool like Descript

We'll walk you through step-by-step tutorials for each different technique below.

How to enable auto-captions on TikTok

The fastest and easiest technique is using the auto-caption feature right inside TikTok.

TikTok uses speech recognition technology to transcribe video audio to text, which is then displayed as captions on the screen. The tool also makes it easy to review and edit the auto-generated captions for better accuracy and accessibility.

Here's how it works.

1. Record or upload your video

To start, upload a video to TikTok. Tap the plus sign to open up the camera tool, choose a video length, and press the round button to start recording.

You can also record your content with your iPhone, Android, or a video camera and upload it to finish your edits. Just tap the plus sign to open the camera tool, then select the video from your camera roll by tapping the thumbnail.

Either way, you need to film your video and prepare it for final editing inside the TikTok app. Once you've recorded or uploaded your video, tap the check mark.

2. Access the auto-captions feature

Tap the automatic captions button in the right sidebar to get started. It's a rectangular box with lines of text at the bottom. Below, it's circled in red:

This tool uses AI to process and translate your audio into subtitles for you, so you don't have to lift a finger. The captions will appear in sync with the audio—but you may need to go to the next step to make sure every word matches what's being said.

3. Edit your captions

AI isn't perfect, and TikTok's auto-captioning tool is no different. It will save you time over writing your captions manually, but remember to edit and double check your captions for accuracy, especially for technical terms or uncommon words.

Read along with the video captions to make sure everything is correct. If anything is wrong with the captions, just tap on them, edit the text, and save.

4. Position and style your captions

Finally, ensure the overall look and feel of your TikTok subtitles match your video. You can edit them by tapping the A in a box icon.

From here, choose fonts, colors, alignments, and whether the text should be outlined. You can also drag the subtitles around the screen, resize them, and position them where they won't block important visuals in your TikTok video.

💡 PRO TIP: Use the same caption style throughout all your videos for consistency. A consistent style solidifies your brand identity and creates a comforting experience for viewers, encouraging them to come back for more content.

When you're happy with your TikTok captions, save everything and you'll be directed back to the main video editor. And, voila! You've finished adding auto subtitles to your TikTok content. Now your videos will be more accessible to viewers watching with the sound off.

How to add TikTok captions using third-party tools

TikTok's native video editor is a good place to start, but it doesn't always have the features you need to caption your social media content effectively. Let's explore how you can find a third-party captioning app to get more flexibility and control over your TikTok subtitles.

1. Choose your third-party captioning tool

Start by choosing a captioning app that supports social media videos. Popular options include Descript, Capcut, and VEED.io.

Of course, we recommend Descript's caption generator as a quick and easy way to automate captions for any social media platform, whether it's a TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube video. With Descript, you can create, edit, and customize captions all in one place.

The caption generator is part of the Descript video editing suite, which is packed with both traditional and AI-powered tools to speed up the editing process, including:

• Studio sound for professional-grade audio
• Green screen to remove unwanted video backgrounds
• Eye contact to readjust your glaze (like if you're reading from a script)

2. Auto-transcribe your video

Once you've found a video editor app, import your TikTok to the tool of your choice. If you choose Descript, the software will automatically transcribe your video.

The transcription will appear on the left side of your video. You can easily make any necessary edits to ensure your captions match the audio perfectly.

3. Style your captions

Next, turn your transcript into subtitles by adding captions in Descript in a few clicks: just click the "Captions" button on the right hand menu. The captions will automatically appear on your video, synced perfectly with your audio.

Next, choose a style and format for your TikTok subtitles to match your branding. You can easily customize the font, colors, background, and style or select from Descript's ready-made templates for businesses and content creators.

💡 PRO TIP: Save your custom caption styles as templates to reuse across projects or share them with your team.

With Descript, you can also translate captions into multiple languages so your content is accessible to everyone. This will help you reach new markets and grow your audience globally. Under the Repurpose section, choose Translate Captions. Then, select the desired language for your captions.

4. Export your video

Once you've finished adding TikTok captions or making any additional edits to your video, it's time to export it. TikTok prefers .MP4 video files with captions embedded—you can choose this option when saving a video from Descript.

5. Upload to TikTok and publish

Finally, it's time to upload and publish the video on your TikTok account. Make any last-minute edits you need from TikTok's right sidebar before tapping "Next" at the bottom of the screen to finalize your video. Your captions will be preserved in the upload process.

Add a description and relevant hashtags, and tap the “Publish” button to release the video to your subscribers—and beyond.

How to manually add captions on TikTok

You can also add captions manually using the Add Text feature inside the TikTok editor. This is a good captions option if you want more control over when your captions appear on the screen, add extra commentary, or transcribe videos in different languages than English. It's also helpful if the auto-caption feature isn't working properly.

1. Record or upload your video

The first step is to record your video inside the TikTok app or upload a previously filmed video. You can record multiple segments or upload multiple videos that you plan to splice together. Once you've got the full video recorded or uploaded, tap the button with the check on it to move on to the next step.

2. Access the text feature

Start adding manual captions to your videos with the Add Text button. It's just a simple “Aa” icon.

3. Type out your captions

The next step is to manually type your subtitles. Even though this is a longer process than using a text-to-speech tool, it can help you get a little more creative with your captions and ensure they're perfectly accurate. You can add emphasis, emojis, or style certain words differently.

See the TikTok below for an example of what it could look like. The bottom is a piece of text providing additional context, while the top is the word-for-word caption of the audio in the video:

4. Time your captions

Next, you'll need to set the time and duration of when your captions will appear. This part can be tedious, so it may be better to use manual text for additional commentary and the automatic caption tool for your full captions (especially for longer videos).

Tap on the text, then tap the Edit duration button from the pop-up that appears. Here, you'll use the slide to control when the captions appear and disappear.

When you're done, tap the check mark at the bottom right corner. Continue with the next caption until you've finished captioning your video.

5. Position and style your captions

You can design TikTok text just like your captions. Choose a style you can use consistently throughout your TikTok videos to make your content more recognizable and accessible. Consider using high-contrast colors that are easy to read against your video background.

Troubleshooting common TikTok caption issues

Even the most advanced auto-caption tools on TikTok can misinterpret speech, especially when background noise, music, or distinct accents are present. You may need to manually edit captions to correct these inaccuracies and ensure clarity. If the caption function suddenly stops working, confirm you have the latest TikTok app update, as new versions often include improvements to captioning features [source]. Also, check that captions are enabled in your device’s settings and that nothing is muting their display. Finally, positioning issues can occur if your text boxes are accidentally placed too low or cut off at the screen edges, so remember to adjust their placement for optimal readability.

Why you should add captions to TikTok videos

With so much competition on TikTok, learning new ways to keep your content engaging is important. Aside from engaging views, adding subtitles or captions to your TikTok content offers the following benefits for both creators and viewers.

Improve accessibility for all viewers

Accessibility is becoming more important online, and that applies to your social media content and videos. As more platforms add accessibility features—like closed captions and alt tags—you must start incorporating them into your social media marketing strategy.

Studies show that captioning a video improves comprehension and memory of the video by up to 38%. It's also helpful for people watching videos in their non-native language and for viewers who are hard of hearing or in noisy environments.

After all, the more people you can reach by making your messaging more accessible, the more people you're likely to convert into followers, readers/viewers/listeners, and customers.

Increase viewer engagement

When people can read and better understand what you're saying, they'll stick around to finish the video and be more likely to engage with your other content. This increased watch time can boost your TikTok algorithm performance and help your videos reach more people.

Boost TikTok discoverability and SEO

Transcribing your online videos can significantly impact your video's discoverability, or the number of people who see your content. Having clear text indicating what your video is about can support your SEO efforts, helping TikTok's algorithm better understand and recommend your content to interested viewers.

How captions improve TikTok SEO

Captions can enhance your visibility within TikTok’s algorithm by providing explicit textual references for what your video discusses. This clarity helps TikTok better recommend your content to users interested in similar topics [source]. Additionally, captioned videos may encourage viewers to watch longer and engage more, which in turn can elevate how your content ranks. Including relevant keywords within captions can also bolster discoverability for niche topics or trends. Ultimately, consistent use of concise and accurate captions can become a valuable strategy for capturing both casual scrollers and the platform’s SEO benefits.

Where to position captions on TikTok videos

Ideally, captions should be at the bottom of the screen, but not too close to the edge, so viewers can easily read them without obstructing the main content. It's also easier to read captions if they're centered, which is important given how short most TikTok videos are. If you need to move captions, simply tap and drag them to a new position.

How to create captioned TikTok clips with Descript

Sorting through hours of content to find meaningful clips takes time—something most creators don't have these days. You've got to watch all your material, mark potential segments, and review them to see which ones truly stand out.

With Underlord, Descript's AI video editing assistant, you can identify and highlight interesting parts of your video recordings to create short clips. From your dashboard:

1. Click Underlord in the right-hand menu
2. Find the Repurpose section.
3. Choose Create clips.

Choose how many TikTok videos you want to create and their duration. Then, select from the different layouts and templates. Descript will then pick out the most entertaining parts of your video and convert each clip into a new project for you.

How Descript helps create professional TikTok captions

Want to create amazing TikTok content that's accessible and engaging? Descript's TikTok video editor is the perfect solution for beginners and pros alike. Easily create fun and entertaining short-form videos with accurate captions, then upload them to your TikTok profile to share with your followers.

Creators who use Descript not only benefit from automated captions, but streamline their video editing process with tools like:

• Studio Sound to remove background noise
• AI Voices to fix audio mistakes with a clone of your voice
• Filler Word Removal to remove awkward “ums” and “uhs”

TikTok creators love Descript for a reason. Take a free tour today and see why it's the preferred video editor for thousands of TikTokers.

Frequently asked questions about TikTok captions

Why don't I have captions on TikTok?

If you don't see TikTok captions, go to Settings > Accessibility and make sure you've turned the captions feature on. When publishing a new video, go to More options, turn on the captions feature, and select the right language. If captions still don't appear, try updating your TikTok app to the latest version.

How do I add auto-captions to TikTok?

Use the auto-caption feature built into TikTok's in-app editing tools to automatically create subtitles. Or, use a tool like Descript to fully manage your external editing and captioning process before uploading the final video to TikTok.

Can you add captions to a TikTok video after posting?

You can't add captions to a TikTok video after it's been posted. If you want to include captions, you have to put them in before you upload the video. If you already posted the video and want to add captions, you'll have to delete the original post and reupload it with the captions. This is why planning your caption strategy before posting is important.

How do you turn off TikTok captions?

Turning off captions on TikTok videos is very easy. While the video is playing, simply tap the captions, and a button saying “Hide captions” will appear. Tap the button to turn off the captions.

What if my TikTok captions are inaccurate due to background noise?

Strong accents or background noise can destabilize TikTok’s auto-caption tool, causing errors. If you notice inaccuracies, try recording in a quieter environment or use TikTok’s manual editing feature to fine-tune captions. You can also consider an external editing tool that offers noise reduction and precise transcription [source]. Updating your TikTok app frequently ensures you have the latest improvements for better caption accuracy. If all else fails, turning off and re-enabling auto-captions may help refresh TikTok’s transcription process.

Can I upload my own SRT or VTT subtitle file to TikTok?

TikTok primarily uses its own built-in captioning tools and doesn’t officially support SRT or VTT uploads. If you prefer using advanced subtitle formats for better stylization and accuracy, external apps like Descript allow you to create overlays that embed captions right into your video [source]. After editing and exporting the file, you can upload the final version to TikTok with captions already in place. This workflow ensures your subtitles display exactly as intended without relying on TikTok’s auto-caption feature. Be mindful that any re-editing in TikTok should not conflict with these embedded captions.