How to Add Text to TikTok Videos – Step By Step

What makes a TikTok video even better? Text! You can add details to a story, funny statements, or captions to help those who need to keep their phones on silent while scrolling. But how do you add text to a TikTok video?

Creating TikTok videos is easy once you get the hang of it. But there are so many editing options it helps to have a guide to follow. Review the steps below and learn how to add text to your TikTok creations.

How to Add Text to a TikTok Video

Before adding text to your TikTok video, you need to record it. Tap the + icon, select your music and any filters, then hold the red record button to record your video. When you’re happy with the video, tap the red checkmark at the bottom of the screen.

After the initial recording process, you can add text to your TikTok video on the next page. Follow these steps to add the text:

Step 1: Tap the Aa Icon

There’s a menu on the right side of the editing page. Tap the Aa icon to insert a text box on your TikTok video.

Step 2: Type Your Text

A cursor will blink in the new text box, and your keyboard will appear on your screen. Start typing the text you want everyone to see.

Helpful Hint: You can repeat this process as many times as you need. Small bursts of text are often helpful for viewers, so keep the text short, and we’ll show you how to edit it to make sense in the next section.

Step 3: Tap Done

Now that you typed the text you want to show on your TikTok video tap the Done button at the top of the screen.

Helpful Hint: You can change the font, duration, and placement of your text by following the steps in the following section.

Here is a brief, step-by-step video for visual reference:

How to Edit Text on a TikTok Video

Figuring out what to say is often more difficult than editing the text on your TikTok video. But once you add your text, you can edit and customize it any way you like. Here’s what to do:

Step 1: Tap the Text Box

By default, your text will have a standard font, be white, and last the duration of your video. You can change all of these aspects by tapping on the text after you add it.

Step 2: Add Voice to Text

If you want an automated voice to read your viewers the text on the TikTok video, tap Add Voice to Text in the dropdown menu.

Choose one of the voice options by tapping the icon (for example, Wacky). Or, choose the Emotion or Vocals tab at the top of the menu to access more voice options.

Tap Apply voice to all text in this video to automatically include all text that you added in the previous section.

Step 3: Set the Duration

When you tap the text box, a small dropdown menu will show up. Tap Set Duration to set the text to appear at certain intervals of the TikTok video (this works best if you have a lot to say in the video and want it to show consecutively).

Drag the red slider to set when your text shows.

When you have perfected the text’s duration, tap the white checkmark at the bottom.

Helpful Hint: Repeat this step for each text box you added. Position them at different intervals to make them appear consecutively.

Step 4: Edit the Font and Color

You can also edit the text’s font and color. Tap Edit in the dropdown menu.

Select one of the font options at the top right side of the edit menu.

Tap the A with a box around it to add an outline to your text.

Choose one of the Color options located above the keyboard.

Step 5: Move the Text

Lastly, you can move the text on your TikTok video. This is helpful when your text covers part of the video or you just don’t want it in the center of the screen.

Hold the text box and drag it where you want it to appear.

Helpful Hint: Be mindful of the pre-loaded options on the screen (the share/follow icon on the right, captions at the bottom, etc.

How to Add Captions to a TikTok Video

Captions are helpful for those who can’t hear your audio. Perhaps someone needs to watch the video with the volume turned down, or your viewer is hearing impaired. Either way, it’s a good idea always to add captions to your TikTok videos.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Record the Video

As mentioned above, record your TikTok video, and add music and effects. Then, tap the red checkmark icon to move to the editing page.

Step 2: Tap the Captions Icon

The menu on the right contains most of your editing options. You’ll see a caption icon (it looks like a white box with lines). Tap the Caption icon.

Step 3: Tap Save

It takes a moment for TikTok to analyze and upload the captions on your TikTok video. When it completes, tap Save at the top.

How to Edit Captions on a TikTok Video

TikTok lets us add text to our video in the form of captions. But captions aren’t always perfect. Sometimes, you need to edit them. TikTok’s automatic captions can blend in with your videos’ background, or they can misinterpret what’s said in the video. Nonetheless, you can fix all of that in a few simple steps.

Step 1: Tap the Caption

After adding your captions (following the steps above), tap the caption.

Step 2: Tap Edit Captions

A small popup window appears when you select the Edit Captions button.

Step 3: Change the Language

Your caption’s language appears in the default language for your account. If you wish to change this, tap the globe icon to the right of the edit window. Then, select the appropriate language.

Step 4: Tap the Pen Icon

If errors appear in your captions or you want to customize what they say, tap the pen and paper icon at the top of the edit menu.

Then, select the caption you want to rewrite and type the new text.

Finally, tap Save at the top.

Step 5: Tap the A Icon

If you want to add a border or change your caption’s color, tap the A icon (with a box around it). Then, select any of the color or font options.

TikTok Text is Tremendous

When you post a TikTok video, you’re posting for your audience. Adding text and captions to a TikTok video makes them easier to understand and gives your viewers more freedom to scroll without sound.

Up Next

• How to Save TikTok Videos
• How to Duet on TikTok
• How to See Who Viewed Your TikTok

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Kaspars Grinvalds/Shutterstock.com.