An important and useful feature that often goes overlooked is TikTok’s auto-generated captions.
So does TikTok automatically add captions to videos? The short answer is: yes, TikTok can automatically generate captions for videos under certain conditions. However, auto-captions are not added to every single video uploaded to the platform.
In this detailed guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about how auto-captions work on TikTok, including:
- What are auto-generated captions?
- How to manage auto-captions on your own TikTok videos
- Using TikTok’s creator captions
- Enabling text-to-speech on captions
- TikTok’s photosensitivity warnings
- Recent updates to make captions more accessible
What Are TikTok’s Auto-Generated Captions?
TikTok uses advanced speech recognition technology to automatically generate captions for video and audio content uploaded to the platform.
When enabled, TikTok will analyze the audio track of a video and transcribe it into text captions that appear on screen as the video plays.
Auto-generated captions are designed to make TikTok videos more accessible to users who are deaf or hard of hearing. The captions allow them to follow along with videos they may not otherwise be able to fully experience and enjoy.
TikTok introduced auto-captions back in April 2020. At launch, the feature was only available on videos uploaded in English and Japanese. But TikTok has been expanding support for more languages over time.
How Auto-Captions Work on TikTok
Now let’s take a closer look at how TikTok’s auto-caption feature works:
- Auto-captions will be automatically generated for eligible videos uploaded to TikTok. Eligible videos include those uploaded in languages supported by TikTok’s speech recognition technology.
- You don’t have to manually enable or add captions. If your video meets TikTok’s auto-caption eligibility criteria, captions will be generated after you finish uploading.
- Auto-captions show up on the screen as white text in the video frame. The caption size, font, and position can’t be customized.
- Captions appear on screen as the video’s audio plays, transcribing spoken words in close to real-time.
- Auto-captions are only visible to users who have the captions feature enabled in their TikTok settings. By default, captions are set to “off.”
- In addition to transcribing speech, captions will also label other sounds like laughter, music, applause, etc.
- The accuracy of auto-generated captions can vary based on audio quality, speaker clarity, and ambient background noise. Like other speech recognition tech, it’s not 100% perfect.
- Auto-captions are meant as a helpful aid only and may contain errors. Creators shouldn’t rely on them as the sole means of video accessibility.
Now that you understand the basics of how TikTok’s auto-captions work, let’s go over how you can manage this feature for videos you upload.
How to Manage Auto-Captions on Your TikTok Videos
If you regularly upload videos to TikTok, here are some tips on controlling auto-captions:
Selecting Caption Language
You can set the auto-caption language before uploading a new video:
- In the TikTok app, tap the “+” button to upload a new video.
- On the posting screen, tap the “…” More Options button.
- Select “Set video language.”
- Choose the language you want captions generated in.
- When finished, tap “Post” to upload your video.
If your video meets eligibility requirements, it will automatically display captions in the language you chose.
Editing or Removing Auto-Captions
You can also go back and edit auto-generated captions after uploading:
- In TikTok, tap on your video to open it.
- Tap the “Edit video” button.
- Select the caption text overlay on your video.
- Tap the “Edit captions” button.
- You can now edit or delete any of the auto-generated captions.
- When finished editing, tap “Save” to update the captions.
So if you notice any errors in the automated transcription, you can manually correct them as needed.
Using TikTok’s Creator Captions
In addition to auto-captions, TikTok also lets you add customized “creator captions” to your videos.
With creator captions, you can:
- Manually type out captions instead of relying on automated speech recognition
- Customize the text style, fonts colors, and position
- Add captions in languages not available for auto-captions
- Include additional text and effects not picked up by auto-captions
Here’s how to add creative captions to your TikTok videos:
- Tap the “+” button to start a new video.
- After recording/uploading, go to the editing screen.
- Select the “Captions” option on the side.
- Tap on the auto-generated caption text.
- Tap “Edit caption” then select “Creator caption.”
- You can now customize the caption text, font, color, position, and more.
- Tap “Done” when finished editing your creator captions.
The key benefit of creator captions is having full control over text styling and accuracy. But it takes more time and effort than automated captions. Use them when you want to go the extra mile to make videos engaging.
Enabling Text-to-Speech for Captions
Along with auto and creator captions, TikTok has a text-to-speech feature that will read captions aloud:
- When adding captions, highlight the text you want read aloud.
- Select the “Text-to-speech” option.
- Tap “Add” to insert an audio reading of that caption text.
This makes your captions even more accessible, allowing viewers to both read and hear the captions.
The text-to-speech voice will match the language set for your captions. Keep in mind you’ll need clear caption text for the best results.
TikTok’s Photosensitivity Warnings
Some TikTok visual effects and editing features can cause issues for viewers sensitive to flashing lights and colors. These include:
- Strobe light effect
- Flashing feed transition
- Disco effect
- Animated emojis
If your video uses effects that may induce photosensitive reactions, TikTok will automatically detect this and add a warning when you post.
Viewers can choose to skip watching photosensitive videos based on the warning. They can also adjust their display settings for a more comfortable viewing experience.
So TikTok aims to promote accessibility and inclusion for all users with features like captions, text-to-speech, and photosensitivity warnings.
Recent Changes to Make Captions More Accessible
In late 2022, TikTok introduced some changes to its auto-captions system:
- Auto-captions will be enabled by default for eligible videos. Previously, creators could opt out of auto-captions.
- The option to disable auto-captions will be removed from TikTok’s settings.
- Viewers also won’t be able to disable captions globally from their account settings. However, the caption toggle will still appear on individual videos.
- Creators can still edit or delete captions post-upload if needed.
According to TikTok, these updates are intended to “break down language barriers” and boost accessibility. Auto-captions will now be available on more videos within the app.
The changes rolled out starting November 2022. Any videos uploaded prior can still have auto-captions disabled until November. But all eligible videos after that date will have mandatory auto-captions.
This update is part of TikTok’s ongoing efforts to enhance user accessibility on the platform. Auto-captions already support multiple languages, with more expected in the future.
The Benefits of TikTok’s Auto Captions
Looking at TikTok’s auto-caption capabilities overall, the feature offers significant benefits:
- Makes videos accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers
- Allows content to reach those with audio muted
- Helps users learn new languages by reading captions
- Assists with comprehension if audio is difficult to hear
- Can improve video SEO by indexing caption text
- Requires no extra effort from creators to enable
- Automatic alternative to manually adding captions
- Available for many (but not yet all) languages
- Provides base captions creators can build on with edits
- Customizable appearance with creator captions
- Expanded utility with text-to-speech option
Of course, auto-captions aren’t flawless. Accuracy issues can lead to incorrect transcriptions of video. Quality varies based on audio clarity, ambient noise, unique words usage, and other factors.
However, as speech recognition tech continues to advance, auto-generated captions will likely become more precise over time. And the availability of creator captions gives creators a workaround if needed.
Common TikTok Auto-Caption Questions
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about TikTok’s auto-captions:
Are auto-captions available in my language?
TikTok initially only supported English and Japanese. Caption support has expanded to include Chinese, Indonesian, Korean, Thai, German, Italian, Turkish, Russian, Portuguese, Arabic, French, Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Nepali, and more. However, not all languages are covered yet.
Do auto-captions work on live videos?
No, only pre-recorded uploaded videos support auto-captions. Live broadcasts do not analyze speech and generate live captions.
Can I download auto-captions as an SRT file?
Unfortunately, TikTok does not allow exporting auto-captions as a separate file. You can only view them on the video within the app itself.
Do auto-captions improve visibility in TikTok search?
Yes, auto-caption text can help videos rank higher in TikTok search results. The captions expand a video’s textual content for relevance matching.
Can I use auto-captions commercially or in other apps?
No, TikTok’s auto-captions are only available for personal use on the platform. You cannot extract or use them commercially outside TikTok due to legal restrictions.
Why does timing seem off for some auto-captions?
Auto-captions are generated automatically without human adjustment. So the timing may not perfectly match up with the video’s spoken words. Editing can help fix sync issues if needed.
How do auto-captions identify music, laughter, applause, etc?
Along with speech recognition, TikTok’s caption AI analyzes audio cues like volume, rhythm, frequencies, etc. to detect and label non-speech sounds.
Can I customize the caption font, color or position?
No, basic auto-captions only allow customizing the caption language. For greater style control, switch to creator captions.
TikTok does provide automated captions on many videos to improve accessibility. While imperfect, it’s an invaluable tool for broader audience reach.
TikTok’s work to expand language support and enable captions by default shows a commitment to inclusive design. With auto-captions now mandatory, more videos than ever will be accessible to people with hearing limitations.
