How to Add Captions to TikTok (App and PC)

To add captions to a TikTok video, use one of TikTok's two built-in options in the app. Auto-generated captions are created automatically for videos you upload. You pick their language on the post screen under More options > Select video language, and you can edit or remove them after posting by tapping the caption on your video and choosing Edit captions. Creator captions are added while you edit: tap Captions on the side panel, check each line, restyle the font and colour if you like, then save (TikTok Support). TikTok's help pages describe caption editing only in the app, so on a computer the dependable route is to burn captions into the video before you upload it in your browser.

One naming note: TikTok also calls the text you write under a post a "caption" (the app labels it the description). This guide covers on-screen captions of what's said in the video. For the text limit, see TikTok caption character limit.

The four ways to get captions on a TikTok

Menus above are from TikTok's help center (TikTok Support). TikTok renames buttons from time to time, so if a label doesn't match your app, look for the closest equivalent in the same place.

How to turn on auto-generated captions (in the app)

TikTok says auto-generated captions use speech recognition and are created automatically for videos you upload. To set their language:

1. In the TikTok app, upload or create a video.
2. On the post screen, tap More options.
3. Tap Select video language and choose the language spoken in the video.
4. Tap Post.

TikTok says "eligible videos" show auto-generated captions in the selected language (TikTok Support). The help page doesn't list what makes a video eligible. Since the captions come from speech, a video with only music or no talking has nothing to caption.

How to add creator captions (in the app, before posting)

Creator captions are the ones you can review line by line and restyle. Per TikTok's help center:

1. In the TikTok app, tap the Add post (+) button at the bottom.
2. Record or upload a video, then continue to the preview screen.
3. Tap Captions on the side panel. TikTok transcribes the speech into text. The first time, you're asked to opt in to the feature.
4. Preview the captions and edit each line. Fix names, brand terms and anything the transcription misheard.
5. Tap Save, then finish your post.

TikTok gives changing the font style and colour as examples of how you can design creator captions (TikTok Support).

Text on screen, read aloud

For short text rather than a full transcript, such as a title card or a key line, use the Text tool. Tap Text on the side panel and type, then pick a font and, from the colour wheel, the text and background colours (TikTok Support). To have the text read aloud, tap it and select Text-to-speech (TikTok Support).

How to edit or remove captions after posting

You can still fix auto-generated captions once a video is live:

1. In the TikTok app, go to your video with auto-generated captions.
2. Tap the caption on the video, then tap Edit captions.
3. Edit or remove any line.
4. Tap Save at the top.

That's the after-posting workflow TikTok documents (TikTok Support). Its help pages don't describe adding creator captions or new on-screen text to a video that's already live. If a video went out without captions and auto-captions didn't appear, your options are to wait and check the language setting next time, or delete and repost a captioned version. Reposting starts the video's views from zero, so do it early if you're going to.

How to add captions to TikTok on a PC

TikTok's help center describes uploading from a web browser in three steps: click Upload at the top, click Select video to upload (or Select file), then choose your video. It also notes that the whole video is uploaded from a browser. To change the length, TikTok says to upload in the app instead (TikTok Support). TikTok Studio, TikTok's creator app for phones, lists Auto captions among its tools. TikTok says you can also open Studio in a web browser, but with limited tools (TikTok Support).

That leaves two ways to caption from a computer.

Option 1: Upload in the browser, fix captions on your phone

1. Upload the video from your browser as above.
2. TikTok generates captions automatically for eligible uploaded videos.
3. Open the post in the TikTok app on your phone and correct the captions with Edit captions.

This is free and keeps captions as a separate layer TikTok can update. The downside is that you can't style them, and the fixes still happen on a phone.

Option 2: Burn captions in before you upload

Burned-in (open) captions are drawn into the video pixels, so they look the same everywhere: TikTok, Reels, Shorts and any other platform you post the same file to. The trade-off is that nobody can switch them off. The difference is covered in open vs closed captions.

1. Open the video in a desktop editor or an online captioning tool that can generate captions from speech.
2. Read through the transcript and fix errors, especially names and numbers.
3. Pick a style that's readable on a phone: large text, high contrast, one or two short lines at a time.
4. Keep captions clear of the bottom of the frame and the right edge, where TikTok overlays the description and the like, comment and share buttons.
5. Export a vertical 9:16 MP4 and upload it from your browser.

If you use Exemplary AI (our product), you can do this in the browser: upload the video, let it transcribe the speech, select the transcript and create a clip, choose a caption animation such as Karaoke or Highlight word, correct any word, and export a 9:16 MP4 with the captions burned in. Exports on the free plan carry a watermark; see pricing. The TikTok caption tool page has the details. For a full walkthrough of burning subtitles in any editor, see how to burn subtitles into a video.

After a burned-in video goes live, check it once. If TikTok's auto-generated captions also appear and double up with yours, remove them with Edit captions in the app, which TikTok says lets you remove captions as well as edit them.

What about SRT files?

TikTok's help pages don't describe a way to upload a subtitle file such as SRT or VTT with a video. If your captions exist as an SRT file, burn them into the video in an editor before you upload. See SRT vs VTT for what each format is for.

Tips for captions people can read

• Keep lines short. Two short lines are easier to follow on a phone than one long line.
• Check every proper noun. Speech recognition often gets names, brands and jargon wrong. Fix them before you post.
• Mind the overlays. The description, buttons and progress bar sit over the bottom and right of the video. Preview the video on a phone before posting.
• Style with purpose. Highlighting one keyword at a time, the look people call Alex Hormozi-style captions, works when it helps people follow along. It gets in the way when every word flashes.
• Caption for access, not only reach. TikTok says captions help people who are deaf or hard of hearing access content (TikTok Support).

Captions are one part of a video people can follow on mute. For the rest, see how to get more views on TikTok.

FAQ

Why doesn't my TikTok have auto captions?

TikTok says only eligible videos show auto-generated captions, in the language selected under More options > Select video language on the post screen. It doesn't publish the eligibility rules. Check the language setting, and remember captions come from speech, so videos without talking won't get them.

Can you add captions to a TikTok after posting?

You can edit or remove auto-generated captions after posting: tap the caption on your video, then Edit captions. TikTok's help pages don't describe adding creator captions or on-screen text to a live video. For that, you'd repost a captioned version.

How do I add captions to TikTok on a computer?

Either upload in your browser and correct the auto-generated captions later in the TikTok app, or burn captions into the video with an editor before uploading. TikTok's help pages describe caption editing only in the app.

Can I change the caption language?

Yes, before posting. On the post screen, tap More options > Select video language and pick the language spoken in the video.

Should I use TikTok's captions or burned-in captions?

Use TikTok's captions if you post natively and want something quick you can fix after posting. Burn them in if you want a specific style, or if you'll post the same video to Reels and Shorts too.