Text is the fastest way to tell a muted viewer what a Reel is about. A strong title in the first second does what a voiceover cannot do for someone scrolling with the sound off, and a clean lower third can name a person, a place, or a price without a word spoken. Edits makes adding text simple, but the difference between text that helps and text that clutters comes down to a few choices: size, contrast, placement, and how long it stays on screen.
By Alex Carter, Editor · Published October 24, 2026 · Updated October 24, 2026
30-second answer: Tap Text, type your words, and drag them into place. Pick a bold font with high contrast, keep lines short, hold each title on screen long enough to read twice, and use the same style across your videos.
In this guide
- Why on-screen text works
- Add text, step by step
- Style text so it stays readable
- Titles and lower thirds
- Animate text without overdoing it
- Troubleshooting
- Frequently asked questions
Why on-screen text works
A title works like a headline. In a feed full of moving pictures, the Reel with a clear, readable title tells the viewer in one second whether the video is for them. That first second decides the swipe, and text is the only tool that works with the sound off, in a language the viewer reads, before they have invested any attention. Creators who title consistently get more full views, not because titles are magic, but because the right viewers stop and the wrong ones leave early, which is exactly what retention rewards.
Text also carries information that pictures cannot. A location, a price, a name, a step number, or a warning all land more precisely as words than as visuals. Use text for facts and let the footage carry feeling. When text and picture say the same thing at the same time, the message doubles; when they fight, the viewer trusts neither.
Add text, step by step
Tap the Text tool and type your words. Keep it short: a title should be readable in one glance, so cut it to the fewest words that still say the thing. Drag the text to where it belongs on the frame, then drag its edges on the timeline to set when it appears and disappears. A title that enters with the shot and leaves before the next idea starts feels intentional; text that lingers across a cut feels like a mistake.
Place text with the whole frame in mind. The lower third is the default home for titles because faces usually sit higher, but check the app’s own overlay zones: buttons and captions live at the edges, and text parked under them gets covered. Our captions guide explains the safe zone in detail. Test placement on a phone, not just in the editor, since the editor preview hides the platform chrome.
Style text so it stays readable
Readability has three ingredients: a bold font, a large size, and contrast. White text with a dark outline or a solid bar behind it survives almost any footage, while thin colored text disappears over a busy background. Size matters more than style: if you must choose between a pretty font and a bigger one, pick bigger. On a phone held at arm’s length, text smaller than roughly a tenth of the screen height is decoration, not communication.
Consistency is the second half of styling. Pick one font, one or two colors, and one position family for your titles, and use them on every video. Viewers start recognizing your work before they read a word, and you stop redesigning every Reel from scratch. Save your choices as a habit, not as a rule you break whenever a new font looks tempting.
Titles and lower thirds
A title opens a video; a lower third labels what is already on screen. Titles can be big and central for a second or two, because they own the frame. Lower thirds must be smaller and tucked to a corner or the bottom edge, because they share the frame with the subject. The classic lower third pairs a name in bold with a smaller line beneath it, a role, a location, or a price, and it stays up just long enough to read, usually three to five seconds.
Keep lower thirds out of the way of faces and of captions. If your Reel already has captions at the bottom, move the lower third up or to the side rather than stacking text on text. And never put essential information only in a lower third that appears for a second; if it matters, give it time, or say it out loud as well.
Animate text without overdoing it
A simple fade or slide-in makes a title feel alive; five competing animations make it feel desperate. Pick one entrance style and use it for every title in the video, and keep the animation short, under half a second, so the words are readable for nearly their whole time on screen. Text that bounces, spins, and scales at once fights the footage for attention, and the footage usually loses.
For text that must follow a moving subject, use keyframes to move it along the path, which our keyframes guide explains. Otherwise, let text sit still. Still text is easier to read, easier to place, and far less likely to look dated in a month.
Troubleshooting
- Text is unreadable over bright footage. Add a dark bar or outline behind it, or move it to a darker area of the frame.
- Text gets cut off at the edges. Keep titles inside the safe zone and shrink long lines instead of letting them run to the border.
- Text disappears too fast. Hold each title at least two seconds, longer for sentences, and check it at full speed.
- Text covers the subject’s face. Move it to the lower third or the opposite side of the frame and re-check on a phone.
- Styles look different on every video. Settle on one font and color pair and reuse it; consistency is what makes a channel look professional.
Get the official app
Text is free in the official app, and your next title is a one-minute experiment. Get Edits from the official stores below, add a bold title to a real clip, and watch it on your phone before you post. Next: Music and Audio in Edits →
Frequently asked questions
Can I add text to a video in Edits?
Yes. Tap the Text tool, type your words, and drag the text where you want it on screen.
How do I make text readable on a phone?
Use a bold font, a large size, and high contrast. White text on a dark bar works on almost any footage.
Can text move with the video?
Yes. You can animate text in and out, and keyframe its position, which our keyframes guide covers in depth.
How long should on-screen text stay up?
Long enough to read twice. For most lines that means at least two seconds, longer for longer sentences.
Can I use my own fonts in Edits?
Edits offers its own font set. Pick the closest match to your brand and keep it consistent across videos.
Can I add text on a PC or Mac?
Yes, inside an Android emulator running the same free app. Our PC guide and Mac guide explain the setup.
Edits for PC is an independent, unofficial guide. It is not affiliated with Meta Platforms, Inc. or Instagram, and it does not host or sell the Edits app.
Text sizes that work on a phone
Think in fractions of the screen, not in points. A main title should be large enough to read in a thumbnail-sized preview, roughly a tenth of the frame height or more, because many viewers first see your Reel small, in a grid or a feed preview. A lower third can be smaller, around a twentieth of the frame height, since it shares the screen with the subject and the viewer is already watching. Body-style lines, like a list of steps or a quote, need the largest size of all, because viewers must read several words, not just glance at a phrase.
The test is always the same: export a short clip, open it on your phone, hold the phone as you normally would, and read the text without leaning in. If you squint, enlarge it. If a line wraps awkwardly or breaks a word, shorten the line instead of shrinking the font. Shorter words at a larger size beat longer words at a smaller size every time.
Title mistakes to avoid
The most common mistake is writing a paragraph where a title belongs. A title that needs three lines is not a title, it is a caption, and viewers will not read it before swiping. Cut it to the hook: the result, the question, or the promise, and let the video deliver the rest. The second mistake is stacking text: a title, a lower third, captions, and a sticker all competing in one frame. Pick one text job per shot and let the rest wait for their turn.
The third mistake is decoration over readability: thin script fonts, low-contrast colors, and text over flashing footage. A title must survive the worst frame behind it, not just the best one. If your title is only readable on a clean background, it is not finished. Add the bar, thicken the font, or move it, and test again on the busiest shot in the Reel.
A final check ties it together: mute the video and read only the text. If the text alone tells the story, you have used it well. If the text alone confuses, cut words until it clarifies. That muted-text test is the fastest review you can run, and it catches nearly every text problem before publishing, from tiny fonts to titles that overstay their welcome.
One more habit worth building: once you find a text style you like, save it as your default for the next Reel. Reusing the same font, color, and bar means every new title is already on brand, and viewers start to recognize your videos before they read a word.