Accessible Instagram Narratives: A Guide to Embedding Textual Descriptions in Stories

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What to Know

• Add captions: Create a story, and then press theSticker icon and selectCaptions .
• Automatic captions:Settings and activity >Accessibility >Captions and translations > toggle onCaptions .

Adding captions is a great way to make your stories more accessible to more people. Here’s how to add captions to Instagram stories and turn on automatic captions for the stories you view.

How to Add Captions to Your Instagram Story

Adding captions to your stories is one of those things you should be doing on Instagram . Here’s how to add captions the next time you make a story.

You can only add captions to stories that contain speech. Make sure your microphone is enabled from the Instagram settings on your smartphone and that you’re capturing audio.

1. Create a Story in the Instagram app by tapping the+ (Plus) icon on your profile picture.
2. Tap theStickers icon located in the options tray.
3. ChooseCaptions . Instagram will automatically transcribe the speech in your video.
   
4. Use the color picker, located at the top, to change the color. To change the font, choose one of the other font options at the bottom.
5. Edit the captions. If you see any words that are translated incorrectly, double-tap the transcript, then tap the word to edit it. In this case, the word “I” will be edited to “I’ll.”
6. Share your story. When you’re finished editing your captions, use the arrow icon to share your story. Anyone who watches it will be able to see captions.

How to Get Captions on Instagram Stories

You also have the option to turn on automatic captions for the stories and reels that appear on your Instagram feed. Here’s how to enable this feature.

1. Tap theProfile icon in the lower-right corner of the app to go to your profile.
2. Tap theMenu (three horizontal lines) in the upper-right corner to openSettings and activity .
3. Scroll down toYour app and media .
4. TapAccessibility .
5. Choose the arrow besideCaptions and translations .
6. Move the toggle forCaptions to the right.
7. Captions will automatically generate on videos with speech. HD Video Converter Factory Pro
   Automatic captions will show even when your volume is turned up. Videos that were captioned by their creators may display two sets of captions.

Automatic Captions on Instagram

Some people don’t add captions to their Instagram stories. To see captions on those stories, you will need to enable automatic captions.

The feature is automatically enabled on some devices, but others will have to enable this feature using the steps above. Captions increase accessibility for the Deaf and hard of hearing, but there are other benefits to captions.

Consider using captions if:

• You watch videos in a non-native language
• You are practicing reading, regardless of language
• Your comprehension is helped by reading
• You use Instagram without volume

FAQ

• How long are Instagram captions allowed to be?
  Instagram captions max out at 2,200 characters, which is roughly between 300 and 500 words.
• How do I write good Instagram captions?
  Some suggestions for more engaging captions include an attention-grabbing first sentence, a call to action or question for viewers, and approaching it like telling a story. You can also use lists for inspiration .

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