After testing them out over the past few months, Instagram has today officially launched its new captions sticker in Instagram Stories, providing another way for you to expand the accessibility of your Stories content.
Sound off ????
…with sound off ????Now you can add a captions sticker in Stories (coming soon to Reels) that automatically turns what you say into text.
We’re starting in a handful of countries and hope to expand soon. pic.twitter.com/OAJjmFcx4R
— Instagram (@instagram)
As you can see here, when you add the new Captions sticker to your captured video, it will auto-generate text captions based on the audio input. The auto-captions won't be 100% accurate all of the time, but you'll also be able to edit the text, as well as the text color, position and font, to best suit your presentation.
That could open up a range of new presentation and connection opportunities, through a simple, easy to use process.
As noted, Instagram's been testing out the option over the past few months, with some users seeing the new 'Captions' sticker in their options back in March, though actually applying it returned an error.
Instagram added a similar sticker option to its separate Threads app late last year, which quickly saw Threads rise up the download charts, due to TikTok users creating videos using the captions option in Threads (which censors bad language with expletive marks), which they were then uploading to TikTok with the on-screen text.
Instagram also added automated captions for IGTV uploads back in September.
And as Instagram notes, the option is also coming to Reels as well, which was further reinforced by Instagram chief Adam Mosseri in a separate announcement.
As per Mosseri:
"Sound off" is a request we get a lot so I'm excited that it’s coming to Reels too. We also hope to expand beyond a handful of countries soon."
That is the limitation. At launch, the new Captions sticker will only be available in English and in English-speaking countries. But it should be coming to more regions soon, providing an easy, engaging way to add another element to your Stories and Reels, and maximize engagement opportunities in the app.
Facebook is also developing a captions option for Facebook Stories.
The captions sticker could also provide a range of new options for brands and creators, making it easier to reach a wider audience, and ensure that your Stories are able to be understood in sound on and sound off scenarios.
Again, the automated captions won't be perfect, so you will need to review the text. But it could be a valuable addition to your Stories tools, and it'll be worth experimenting with to see how it might fit into your Stories strategy.
It seems like a good, handy way to boost engagement.
The captions sticker for Stories is now available in the latest version of the app.
