To add text to video you need three things from your editor: a text tool, a way to place the box, and a timeline to set when it appears. Free phone apps and desktop suites all have them. The steps are the easy part. Text usually fails because it sits where the app's buttons cover it, or vanishes before anyone reads it.
If you only post Instagram Reels, how to add text to reels walks through the in-app editor step by step.
How do you add text to a video in any editor?
Almost every editor works the same way:
- Import the clip and put it on the timeline.
- Open the text tool. It is called Text, Titles, Type or Aa, depending on the app.
- Type the line and choose a font, size, colour and outline or background.
- Place it by dragging the box in the preview.
- Set the duration by dragging the text clip's ends on the timeline.
- Export and watch the result on a phone before posting.
Text added this way is burned into the pixels: it shows the same everywhere and can't be edited after you post.
Which app should you use to add text to a video?
Menus move between versions, so if a button isn't where a guide says, look for the text icon in the toolbar.
| Where | Tool | Where the text tool is | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone | iMovie | Titles, the T button | Simple titles on one video |
| iPhone, Android | CapCut | Text, then Add text | Styled text and templates |
| iPhone, Android | Instagram Edits | Text in the editor | Reels you post to Instagram |
| Mac, Windows | Premiere Pro | Type tool in the Program monitor | Full control, motion |
| Mac, Windows, Linux | DaVinci Resolve | Effects, then Titles, on the Edit page | Free, precise |
| Mac, Windows | CapCut desktop | Text panel | Fast edits on a computer |
| Browser | Canva, Kapwing | Text in the side panel | Quick jobs, no install |
| Browser | Easy Reels | Designs on a template | The same text style on every video |
For a one-off, use whatever you have open. The choice matters when you add text to video every week, because retyping and restyling is where the time goes.
Where should text go on the screen?
In the middle band of the frame, away from the edges. On vertical video, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts lay their own interface over yours: the caption, username and audio along the bottom, the like, comment and share buttons down the right side. Text placed there gets covered.
| Area of a 9:16 frame | What covers it | Safe for text? |
|---|---|---|
| Top strip | Status bar, tab header | Risky |
| Middle band | Nothing | Yes |
| Bottom strip | Caption, username, audio | No |
| Right edge | Buttons | No |
On a 1080 × 1920 frame, keep text out of roughly the bottom 420 pixels and the right 180. Vertical video dimensions has the full safe area.
How do you make text on video readable?
- Size. Around 60 to 80 pixels at 1080 wide is a sensible floor for vertical video. If it looks a little too big on a laptop, it is about right on a phone.
- Weight. Semibold or bold. Thin fonts vanish into busy footage and are the first thing compression blurs.
- Contrast that doesn't depend on the shot. White text alone works until one clip is a bright sky. Add an outline, a shadow or a solid block behind it.
- Few words. One idea per line, a few words each, two lines at most. A sentence across the screen is a paragraph at phone size.
Use one or two fonts in total.
How long should text stay on screen?
Long enough to read twice at a normal pace. A short line of a few words needs about a second and a half; a full sentence needs several seconds, which is why full sentences rarely work. If you can't read it aloud before it disappears, cut words or hold it longer.
On a video cut to music, change the text on a cut. A line that arrives with a new shot reads as deliberate; one that appears halfway between cuts looks like a mistake. How to cut video to the beat shows where those cuts fall.
Is text on video the same as captions?
No. On-screen text is a few words you choose: a hook, a label, a call to action. Captions transcribe what is said, line by line. A talking video usually needs both, a short hook at the top and captions for the speech. Reel captions and subtitles covers the second, and the first three seconds covers what the hook should say.
How do you reuse the same text style on every video?
Save it once instead of rebuilding it. Most editors let you save a styled title as a preset. Easy Reels goes one step further with Designs: reusable text overlays with the position, font, size and colour fixed, and a placeholder where the words go. You fill in the words per video and nothing else moves, so the hook sits in the same spot on video 1 and video 40. Reusable text overlays explains why placeholders beat editing the words in a saved file.
A Design is part of a template in Easy Reels, along with the song, the colour filter and the folders of clips to draw from. Write a pool of hooks once and each render draws one it hasn't used lately, so a batch of 10 (Pro) or 50 (Ultra) videos gets different lines in the same style. There are 100+ bundled fonts, and Ultra takes your own .ttf and .otf files. Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial with full access; cancel before it ends and you're never charged. After that, Pro is $19 a month. See pricing.
For text on one video today, the editor you have is enough. Easy Reels pays off when a format repeats.
Common questions
How do I add text to a video for free?
CapCut, iMovie, DaVinci Resolve and Instagram Edits all have a free text tool. Canva and Kapwing have free tiers in the browser. Easy Reels has no free plan, only a 14-day trial with full access.
Can I add text to a video without an app?
Yes, in the browser. Canva, Kapwing and Easy Reels run in a web browser, so you upload the clip, add the text and download the file.
Why does my text look blurry after posting?
Usually the font is too thin or too small, and platform compression softens it. Use a bold weight, a larger size and an outline or background block. Why Instagram ruins your video quality covers the export side.
Can I edit text after posting a video?
Not text that is burned into the video. You can edit the post's caption, but changing on-screen text means editing the video and posting it again, so proofread on a phone first.