How to make text appear on Instagram Reels

But there’s a bit of a strategy when it comes to adding text to Instagram Reels correctly. So let me unpack that here.

Text placement

Not all text placement is created equal and some text placements straight up can’t even be read. Let me show you what I mean.

So that text is in a spot where it cannot be read. And there are plenty of areas where text can’t be read because of existing and standard content and icons. For example:

• Usually, the top has the account name, so the text won’t be readable if you get too close to that.
• Then we have the heart, comment, and share icons on the right. Stay away from that, too.

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• At the bottom, there’s the caption, music information, and filter information – if you used one. That information makes it easy for others to use the same filter or music on their Reels but also cuts down the visible area where you can put text.

Here are some examples of text in different locations looks:

So basically, the safe space to add text to Instagram Reels is somewhere in the middle of the screen. Not too close to the bottom, the sides on the bottom or the top.

Read next: How to use Instagram Reels templates

How to add specific text to Instagram Reels

Now that we know where to put the text, let’s briefly discuss how to even put text on a Reel. Once your video is created, click the “next” button in the bottom right. From there you get the option to add text by clicking on the letters on the top right.

You can adjust how long specific text will be on-screen by clicking on the corresponding button in the bottom left. From there you can change when the text should appear. You can also add multiple strings of text that show up at different times. Here’s an example of how that can look.

 

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A post shared by Christoph Trappe (@christophtrappe)

Keep it short(ish)

Remember how long people have to read the text. If a particular video segment is 1.5 seconds, they won’t be able to read text that stretches from top to bottom on the screen. So some creators add: “Pause to read.” While that is practical advice, it’s still not that user-friendly.

My advice is to make sure the text can be read in the time allotted.

Conclusion

Adding text on Instagram Reels is a good strategy, best practice, and widely used. So, it makes sense to use text that helps tell the story, but to do that, it needs to be in a place where people can read it and have enough time to read.

It's actually a lot easier than you might think. In this step-by-step guide, we will show you how to do it in a few easy steps.

Keep reading to learn more and engage your viewers and grow an audience whether it's for your digital products or side hustle.

If you purchase through our partner links, we get paid for the referral at no additional cost to you! For more information, visit my disclosure page.

Adding text to your Instagram Reel videos is a great way to engage your viewers and add more information to your videos.

It can also be used as a way to brand your videos or make them more visually appealing.

Here are the steps you need to follow to add text to Instagram Reels:

How To Edit Text In The Reels Tab

When editing text inside of your Instagram reels video, you can change up to 6 different options.

These include the font, color, size, and background.

To change any of these options, simply tap on the same Aa icon in the top right corner of your screen.

Once you've done that, select the text icon you want to edit and then choose from one of the four options at the top of your editing screen.

Change the alignment of the text: You can now change the alignment of your text from center, left, or right. 

Change the font: You can now choose from a variety of different fonts to use in your Instagram Reels videos. This allows you to make the perfect reel based on your text style. No more boring plain text in your reels.

Change the color: You can change the color whenever you add text and you can use the color picker to get the perfect color. This helps to match your brand or your overall Instagram profile.

Add a background to your text: You can now add different backgrounds to your text block. This is a great way to make your text stand out even more or to add some fun and personality to your reel. This is great for your reels video and utilizing every reel's functionality.

Add text to speech commands: Want to get more out of your text and assist those that have any hearing impairments? By adding text to speech commands, you can have your text read out loud to anyone that has their phone on silent or is unable to hear the audio in your reel.

This is a great way to be more inclusive with your content and make sure that everyone can enjoy your reels.

Animate text: You can now animate your text so that it moves across the screen. This is a great way to add some fun and excitement to your reel and make sure that your viewers are engaged.

You can also add multiple texts to each of your videos and create and story with them. This is a great way to add more information to your reel and make sure that your viewers are getting the most out of it.

The text to speech on reels is very advanced and you can easily add captions in minutes.

How To Make Text Disappear In Instagram Reels

Once you have your text blocks and you are inside of your video preview. You will notice that you change your text length and make it disappear.

If you tap on the text separately (The bottom horizontal line), you can set how long you want each text block to appear on your reel.

This is great for making sure that your viewers are reading the right text on Instagram reels while viewing.

Just drag and crop the text block until you know where it needs to stop. That's all you need to do when it comes to disappearing text in your reels videos.

How To Text Automatically On Your Instagram Reels Using The Captions Feature

Many people don't realize that they can generate text automatically on their Reels using the Captions feature. 

Just click on the Happy face icon at the top of your video preview and your Reels will automatically generate subtitles for you.

The text to speech on reels feature is great even  on existing videos that you may want to post on Reels. Now you can just click, and Reels will automatically caption your video for you. 

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