# TikTok Captions > There are two ways to add TikTok captions: turn on TikTok's own captions in its editor, or burn styled captions into the video before you upload. Kenerate does the second: upload a 9:16 clip up to 4 minutes, choose the Middle position and Glide Pop or Rizz for a word highlight, and post the captioned MP4. URL: https://kenerateai.com/tiktok-captions Publisher: Kenerate AI (https://kenerateai.com) Last updated: 3 October 2026 ## Key facts - Best position: Middle (Reels style) - Word highlight: Glide Pop, Rizz - Output: MP4, 720p or 1080p - Clip length: Up to 4 min - Post it on: TikTok, Reels, Shorts - Watermark: None - Talking-head hook (Rizz · Middle): 9:16 clip up to 4 min → Heavy caps, the spoken word in yellow. Hooks, hot takes and quick tips. - Vlog voice (Glide Pop · Middle): 9:16 clip up to 4 min → Small words, the spoken one in yellow script. Travel, lifestyle and day-in-the-life. - Tutorial (Simple · Top): 9:16 clip up to 4 min → Clean white text, soft shadow. How-tos where hands fill the lower half. - Night out (Vegas · Middle): 9:16 clip up to 4 min → Pink neon caps. Party, music and event clips. - Moody edit (Whisper · Top): 9:16 clip up to 4 min → Light italic text. Cinematic or reflective clips. - Product demo (Glass · Top): 9:16 clip up to 4 min → Words on a frosted glass pill. Busy shop or product backgrounds. ## Steps 1. Export the clip vertical — A 9:16 MP4, MOV or WebM, under 4 minutes and 100 MB. 2. Upload it to Auto Subtitles — Sign in with a verified email; new accounts get starter credits to try it. 3. Pick Glide Pop or Rizz — Both highlight the word being spoken, the look TikTok viewers know. 4. Set Position to Middle — Centred captions stay clear of the username and post text at the bottom. 5. Choose 1080p HD and a shadow — 1080p for sharper text; Mid or Max shadow on bright footage. 6. Download and post — Upload the MP4 to TikTok, Reels or Shorts, and leave TikTok's own captions off. ## In depth ### The vertical safe zone TikTok's ad specifications ask advertisers to keep text and key messages out of the areas where buttons, usernames and captions appear in the feed, and note that the safe area gets smaller as the post text gets longer [2]. The same logic holds for ordinary posts: centre the captions and keep them away from the button column on the right. ### Why contrast matters more on TikTok TikTok draws its interface text and icons in white, and its ad guidance warns that white or transparent creative can make that text hard to read [2]. White captions over a bright scene have the same problem. A Mid or Max text shadow, or the Glass style's frosted pill, keeps your words legible over snow, sky or a white kitchen. ### In-app captions vs burned-in captions TikTok's editor can generate captions that you then edit and restyle inside the app [1]. Those live on TikTok only. Burned-in captions are drawn into the frames, so they look identical on Reels, Shorts, a website or a paid ad, but they are fixed once exported and can't be switched off [3]. ### A posting checklist Run through this before every upload. - Clip exported 9:16, under 4 minutes and 100 MB. - Glide Pop or Rizz, Middle position, 1080p HD. - Text shadow at Mid or Max on bright footage. - Original vs Captioned checked before downloading. - TikTok's own captions left off for this post. - Post description written separately, hook first. References: [1] Kapwing — How to add captions on TikTok (9 January 2026), checked 3 October 2026: https://www.kapwing.com/resources/how-to-add-captions-to-tiktoks/ [2] TikTok Ads Help — In-feed ad specifications (safe zone), checked 3 October 2026: https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/tiktok-reservation-in-feed-ads-reach-frequency?lang=en [3] Subtitles — Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subtitles ## FAQ Q: How do I add captions on TikTok? A: You can add captions on TikTok in two ways. Inside the app, use the Captions option in the editor before posting; Kapwing's January 2026 guide says that text can then be edited and restyled. Or burn the captions in beforehand: Kenerate's Auto Subtitles adds styled, word-highlight captions to the file, so they also show on Reels, Shorts and ads. Q: How do I get word-by-word captions on TikTok? A: Use a word-highlight style. In Kenerate's Auto Subtitles, Glide Pop shows small white words with the spoken one in yellow script, and Rizz uses heavy white caps with the spoken word in yellow. Both are timed to the speech automatically, so the highlight follows the voice with no manual keyframing. Set Position to Middle for the usual TikTok look. Q: Where should captions go on a TikTok? A: In the middle of the frame, or slightly above it. The bottom of a TikTok is covered by the username, the post text and the sound label, and the right edge by the action buttons. Kenerate's Middle position centres the captions, and the tool labels it Reels style, so they stay readable on TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. Q: Should I use TikTok's captions or burned-in captions? A: Use TikTok's captions when you only post there and want to fix words yourself; use burned-in captions when you want a particular style or post the same video on several platforms. Burned-in captions can't be edited after export or turned off by viewers, so check the Original vs Captioned preview before you download the file. Q: How do I add captions for Reels and Shorts? A: The same way: the captioned file is a normal MP4, so one upload works for Reels, Shorts and TikTok without captioning it again. Keep the clip 9:16, use the Middle position so the words sit clear of each app's buttons, and export at 1080p HD for sharper text. Post your original captioned file rather than a re-download from another app. Q: Can I edit a caption after Kenerate adds it? A: No. Kenerate burns the captions into the picture and has no text or timing editor, so the words can't be changed afterwards. For the cleanest result, record with clear audio, keep music low and pin the spoken language instead of Auto-detect if the speaker has a strong accent. If a word still comes out wrong, run the clip again or caption that post in TikTok's editor. Q: Which languages can my TikTok captions be in? A: Kenerate captions speech in English (US), English (India), Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese or Russian, or detects it automatically. Hindi isn't available yet. Captions always match the spoken language; to reach viewers who speak something else, dub the clip with Kenerate's AI dubbing first, then caption the dubbed version. ## Related pages - Add subtitles to video: https://kenerateai.com/add-subtitles-to-video - AI caption generator: https://kenerateai.com/ai-caption-generator - Auto subtitle generator: https://kenerateai.com/auto-subtitle-generator - Fix TikTok video quality: https://kenerateai.com/fix-tiktok-video-quality - AI video translator: https://kenerateai.com/ai-video-translator-and-dubbing ## Sources - Kenerate Auto Subtitles (tool): https://kenerateai.com/app/tool/subtitles - Kapwing — How to add captions on TikTok (9 January 2026), checked 3 October 2026: https://www.kapwing.com/resources/how-to-add-captions-to-tiktoks/ - TikTok Ads Help — In-feed ad specifications (safe zone), checked 3 October 2026: https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/tiktok-reservation-in-feed-ads-reach-frequency?lang=en - Subtitles — Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subtitles