Free tool
Add subtitles to Instagram Reels
Instagram takes no subtitle file for a Reel, so to add subtitles to Instagram Reels you either switch on its closed captions, use the Captions sticker, or make subtitles with the free generator below and build them into the video before you share it.
- Free
- Short lines for Reels
- Nothing is stored
Drop your video or audio file here, or Choose your video or audio file
MP4, MOV, MKV or WebM video, or MP3, M4A or WAV audio. Up to 30 minutes of each file, 3 free files a day. The language is detected automatically.
Turning recorded conversations into Reels? NoteOwl transcribes them on your Mac, unlimited, names each speaker, and saves the SRT ready for your editor.
How it works
How do you get subtitles for an Instagram Reel from its audio?
Finish the Reel’s edit, then drop the video on the generator. Its speech comes back as short subtitles that suit a phone-shaped frame, each with a start and end time. Look them over, download the SRT, and bring it into your editor to place the words on screen.
- 1
Use the final cut
Subtitle the version you will post, so every line matches its moment. An MP4 or MOV from your phone or editor is fine.
- 2
Keep short lines on
The box Short lines for a vertical video starts ticked here, holding each line to 26 characters.
- 3
Save the SRT
It takes the video’s name. Bring it into an editor that reads SRT and export the Reel with the words in the picture.
Can you upload an SRT file to an Instagram Reel?
No. Instagram’s help for Reels covers its own captions, with no option for a file you bring. The only SRT upload Meta documents is in Ads Manager, for video ads. For a Reel you post yourself, use Instagram’s own captions or put your subtitles into the video before posting.
Running the Reel as an ad? In Ads Manager, choose Edit video, then Captions, Upload captions and Select file, and save. Name the SRT with its language and country first, as in myreel.en_US.srt.
- Closed captions
- How it worksSwitch on Enable closed captions under More options as you share, or later by editing the Reel
- Good forCaptions each viewer can show or hide
- Captions sticker
- How it worksTranscribes the video’s audio as a sticker; tap any word to correct it
- Good forWords on screen without leaving Instagram
- Edits app
- How it worksOpen a project, tap Captions, then Generate Captions
- Good forCaptions made while you edit there
- Your own subtitles
- How it worksMade here, then put into the picture by a video editor
- Good forYour exact wording, font, position and timing
| Option | How it works | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Closed captions | Switch on Enable closed captions under More options as you share, or later by editing the Reel | Captions each viewer can show or hide |
| Captions sticker | Transcribes the video’s audio as a sticker; tap any word to correct it | Words on screen without leaving Instagram |
| Edits app | Open a project, tap Captions, then Generate Captions | Captions made while you edit there |
| Your own subtitles | Made here, then put into the picture by a video editor | Your exact wording, font, position and timing |
How do you turn on closed captions for an Instagram Reel?
In the Instagram app, start a Reel, pick the video and tap Next twice. Open More options and switch on Enable closed captions; Translate closed captions is there too. Instagram’s help says this setting isn’t available on computers, so do it from your phone.
Already posted? Open the Reel’s Options and tap Edit, then More options on an iPhone or Advanced settings on Android, and switch the captions on there.
- 1
Start the Reel
Tap Create, then Reel, and choose the video.
- 2
Open More options
Tap Next, then Next again, and find More options.
- 3
Switch captions on
Turn on Enable closed captions, then share the Reel.
How do you build your own subtitles into a Reel?
Import the SRT from this page into a video editor that reads subtitle files, set the font and position, and export with the subtitles drawn into the picture. Then post the new file as your Reel. Each editor names those steps differently, as the table shows.
Every route ends the same way: burn them into the video once, export, and upload that file to Instagram. That’s how to add subtitles to Instagram Reels from a file: the SRT never goes to Instagram, only the finished video does. The generator itself only writes the subtitle file; it never changes your video.
- Premiere Pro
- Bring in the SRTImport it like any media file, then drag it onto the sequence
- Put it in the pictureBurn-in captions, in the Export workspace
- DaVinci Resolve
- Bring in the SRTRight-click in the Media Pool and choose Import Subtitle
- Put it in the pictureOn the Deliver page, Export Subtitle, then Burn into video
- Final Cut Pro
- Bring in the SRTFile > Import > Closed Captions
- Put it in the pictureIn the Share window, Roles, then the Burn in captions pop-up
- CapCut on the web or desktop
- Bring in the SRTThe captions tab on the web; Captions > Add Captions on desktop
- Put it in the pictureThe lines become text clips on the timeline and export with the video
| Editor | Bring in the SRT | Put it in the picture |
|---|---|---|
| Premiere Pro | Import it like any media file, then drag it onto the sequence | Burn-in captions, in the Export workspace |
| DaVinci Resolve | Right-click in the Media Pool and choose Import Subtitle | On the Deliver page, Export Subtitle, then Burn into video |
| Final Cut Pro | File > Import > Closed Captions | In the Share window, Roles, then the Burn in captions pop-up |
| CapCut on the web or desktop | The captions tab on the web; Captions > Add Captions on desktop | The lines become text clips on the timeline and export with the video |
Can people watching a Reel hide the subtitles?
They can hide Instagram’s closed captions: in a Reel’s Options, Closed captions offers Always show closed captions and Never show closed captions. Burned-in subtitles can’t be hidden. They are part of every frame, so they show for everyone, sound on or off.
Use both and a viewer set to always show captions sees two sets of words. Pick one: closed captions for a quick post, burned-in subtitles when you want to choose the wording, font and position yourself.
Can you get subtitles that name each speaker for a two-person Reel?
Yes, with NoteOwl on your Mac. Import the full conversation and it transcribes it with on-device AI models, unlimited, works out who said what and writes SRT subtitles carrying each speaker’s name. It also records meetings on your Mac without a bot joining the call.
FAQ
Questions about Instagram Reels captions
Why can’t I find Enable closed captions on my computer?
Instagram’s help says closed captions for Reels can’t be set from a computer. Open the Instagram app on your phone and switch them on as you share the Reel, or edit the Reel afterwards.
How do I turn captions on or off while watching Reels?
Open a Reel’s Options, tap Closed captions, and choose Always show closed captions or Never show closed captions. The setting covers Instagram’s captions only; words that are part of the video always show.
Why don’t I have the Captions sticker?
Instagram’s help says the Captions sticker may be unavailable in Japan and in countries in Europe. Closed captions, or subtitles built into the video, work instead.
Can the Edits app import an SRT file?
Its help describes generating captions, not importing them: open a project, tap Captions, then Generate Captions. To use your own SRT, put the subtitles into the video in an editor that imports SRT, then bring that video into Edits or Instagram.
Can the generator translate my Reel’s subtitles?
No. It writes the subtitles in the language spoken in the video. Translate the downloaded SRT afterwards with a subtitle translator, then put that version into the picture.
Is my Reel uploaded when I make subtitles here?
No. The video is read inside your browser and never leaves your device. Short stretches of its audio go to a cloud AI transcription service, which turns them into text and throws them away; the subtitle file is assembled in the page, and NoteOwl keeps nothing.
How long can the video be?
The free generator subtitles the first 30 minutes of a file, for up to 3 files a day, with no sign-up.
Keep exploring
More subtitle generator tools
- Subtitle generatorA free AI subtitle generator: drop in a video or recording and download SRT or VTT subtitles timed to the speech, two short lines per cue; only the sound is sent, nothing is stored
- Subtitles for VimeoMake a WebVTT or SRT file and upload it to a Vimeo video under Languages
- Subtitles for LinkedInMake an SRT and attach it as the caption file when you post a video on LinkedIn from a computer
- Subtitles for FacebookMake an SRT already named the way Facebook requires (video.en_US.srt) and upload it to a video or Reel
- Subtitles for X (Twitter)Make an SRT and upload it with Upload caption file (.srt) when you post a video on X from the web
Related
- Subtitles for TikTokTikTok takes no subtitle files: make short-line subtitles here and put them in the video before you post, or use TikTok’s captions
- Subtitles for CapCutMake an SRT with short lines for vertical video, then import it in CapCut on desktop or the web
- Subtitle generatorTurn a recording into an SRT subtitle file with timecodes and speaker names, on your Mac
Speaker-named subtitles from your recordings, on your Mac
Free to download. Runs entirely on your Mac.
macOS 26 or later · Apple Silicon (M1 or newer) · 16 GB memory minimum, 24 GB recommended
About NoteOwl
NoteOwl is private AI meeting notes and memory for the Mac. It captures meetings without a bot joining the call, labels every speaker, writes summaries and action items, and builds a memory of every conversation that you can chat with — fully offline, because the speech recognition and the AI run on the Mac itself. Dictation into any app is free; Pro is a one-time purchase.
NoteOwl pricing: what’s free and what Pro adds
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