Most people watch short videos with the sound off, so captions aren't optional anymore. TikTok, Instagram and YouTube all offer their own captions, and they're convenient: a tap, and the app writes them for you. But they don't all work the same way, and the differences matter as soon as your video goes anywhere else.
This page explains the two kinds of captions you can use on short videos: the platform's own captions and burned-in captions, which are drawn into the video itself. It covers how TikTok, Instagram and YouTube handle captions as of October 2026, what happens when a video is downloaded or reposted, and when each approach is the right one.
Two kinds of captions
Platform captions live alongside the video. The app stores the caption text separately and draws it on top of the video while it plays. Usually viewers can turn them on or off, and sometimes change their size or color.
Burned-in captions (also called open captions or hard captions) are part of the picture. They're drawn into every frame when the video is exported, exactly like a title or a sticker. Every viewer sees them, in every app, and nobody can turn them off.
Neither is better in every case. They solve different problems.
How TikTok handles captions
TikTok can create captions automatically from the speech in your video. You turn them on when you post, and you can edit the text before publishing. Viewers can then turn captions off.
What matters for creators:
- Viewers can switch them off. Your captions aren't guaranteed to be seen.
- They stay on TikTok. Auto captions aren't part of the video file, so they don't appear when the video is downloaded or reposted to another platform.
- The look is TikTok's. You don't choose fonts, colors or highlighting for auto captions.
Many creators add burned-in captions anyway, for control over the look and so the captions survive reposting.
How YouTube handles captions
YouTube, including Shorts, shows captions as a separate track. They can come from automatic speech recognition or from a subtitle file you upload. Viewers turn them on or off with the CC button, and on most devices they can change the caption style.
Like TikTok's, these captions are not part of the video file: they disappear when the video is downloaded or reposted elsewhere. For long YouTube videos, that's usually what you want, and an SRT file you upload yourself is the best option. For a Short you also plan to post on TikTok or Reels, burned-in captions travel better.
How Instagram handles captions
Instagram has two different features, and they behave differently:
- Auto-generated captions for Reels: Instagram can create captions for your video, and viewers can turn them on or off in their settings. Like TikTok's, they're shown by the app, not drawn into the video.
- The Captions sticker: in Stories and Reels, the Captions sticker turns your speech into text that's placed on the video like any other sticker, so it's part of the picture. It's made inside Instagram, with a few preset styles to choose from.
The Captions sticker is the closest thing to burned-in captions inside a platform app. The limits are its few presets, and that it's made inside Instagram for Instagram.
Burned-in captions from Spokly
Spokly's free Captions on video tool makes burned-in captions on your phone or computer, in the browser:
- They work on every platform. The captions are in the MP4 itself, so the same file can go to TikTok, Reels, Shorts, LinkedIn, WhatsApp or anywhere else, and the captions come with it.
- You choose the look. Four styles (Bold outline, Highlight word, Dark box and Minimal), three fonts, three positions and three sizes, all free.
- Timed to every word. Captions appear a few words at a time, and the Highlight word style follows the speaker word by word.
- Private. The video never leaves your device.
- No watermark.
The trade-off is the same as any burned-in caption: viewers can't turn them off, can't resize them, and the platform can't read them as text.
Side-by-side comparison
| TikTok auto captions | YouTube captions | Instagram auto captions | Instagram Captions sticker | Burned-in (Spokly) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viewers can turn them off | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Part of the picture | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Survive download or repost | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| You choose the style | No | No (viewers can) | No | A few presets | 4 styles, 3 fonts, positions, sizes |
| Made where | In the TikTok app | On YouTube | In Instagram | In Instagram | In your browser, on your device |
When to use the platform's captions
- Long videos on YouTube. A subtitle track that viewers can switch on or off, resize and even translate is the right tool. Make an SRT file and upload it; the Subtitle file tool makes one from your video.
- Accessibility settings matter to your audience. People who rely on captions often set their own size and color. Platform captions respect those settings; burned-in captions can't.
- You post on one platform only, and you're happy with its look.
When to burn captions in
- You post the same video in several places. One MP4 with captions works everywhere.
- Captions are part of the style. Highlighted words and bold outlines are part of how short videos look now.
- You want everyone to see them, including people who never turn captions on.
- You send videos directly, on WhatsApp or by email, where there's no caption track at all.
Can you use both?
Yes, and on YouTube it's often the best of both: burned-in captions for the look, plus an uploaded subtitle file so the text is available to people using captions settings. If you do both on the same video, keep the burned-in captions away from the bottom of the frame so the two don't overlap.
How to add burned-in captions for free
- Open Captions on video in Chrome, Edge or Safari, on your phone or computer.
- Drop in your video and choose the spoken language.
- Press Make captions, then pick a style and position.
- Fix any word or timing in the list.
- Export the MP4, and post it anywhere.
For detailed steps and tips on placement and reading speed, read how to add captions to a video online for free. If you're comparing editing apps, see the free CapCut captions alternative.
Mistakes to avoid
- Captions covered by the app. On TikTok, Reels and Shorts, buttons and your post text cover the lower part of the screen. Place burned-in captions a little higher, or in the middle.
- Doubled captions. If you burn captions in, turn the platform's auto captions off for that video, or viewers may see the same words twice.
- Too much text at once. Two short lines at most. Phones are small.
- Unchecked names. Automatic captions mishear names and brands. Read them once before you post.
AI translation for captions is coming soon to Spokly; burned-in captions are free today.
FAQ
Do TikTok auto captions stay on a downloaded video?
No. TikTok's auto captions are shown by the app, not drawn into the video, so they don't appear in a downloaded or reposted copy. Burned-in captions do.
Is Instagram's Captions sticker burned in?
Yes. The sticker becomes part of the picture, like any other sticker. It's made inside Instagram with a few preset styles.
Can viewers turn off burned-in captions?
No. They're part of every frame. That's why it's worth getting the size and position right before you export.
Should I upload an SRT file to YouTube if my video has burned-in captions?
It helps viewers who use caption settings, and it gives YouTube the text of your video. Place the burned-in captions where they won't overlap YouTube's own.