How to Add Text Overlay on a TikTok Video

Adding text overlays to your TikTok videos is one of the most powerful ways to stop the scroll and keep viewers hooked from the very first second. Getting this right can dramatically change how your content performs, turning casual viewers into loyal followers. This guide covers everything from the basic steps of adding and styling text to advanced timing techniques and creative strategies that drive real engagement.

Why Text on TikTok is a Game-Changer

Before jumping into the how-to, it’s worth understanding why something as simple as text can have such a big impact. Text on video isn’t just about adding words, it’s a strategic tool that elevates your content. Here’s how it works:

• It Hooks Viewers Instantly: You have less than three seconds to convince someone to keep watching. A bold text hook like "The biggest mistake you’re making with your coffee" immediately creates curiosity and gives the viewer a reason to stay.
• It Provides Critical Context: Millions of people scroll through TikTok with the sound off. Text overlays ensure your message lands even without audio. Whether you're explaining a complex process, narrating a story, or sharing a quick tip, text makes your content universally understandable.
• It Improves Accessibility: Using text as captions makes your videos inclusive for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing. This not only expands your potential audience but also demonstrates that you value and respect every member of the community.
• It Reinforces Your Message: When people see and hear a message simultaneously, it sticks. Highlighting keywords, summarizing steps, or displaying important takeaways in text reinforces your core points and makes your content more memorable.
• It Drives Action: A clear, text-based call-to-action (CTA) tells your audience exactly what to do next. Simple prompts like "Comment your favorite tip below," "Shop the link in bio," or "Follow for Part 2" can significantly increase engagement and conversions.

The Essential Guide: Adding and Editing Text on Your TikToks

TikTok’s built-in editor offers a simple yet powerful suite of tools for adding text. Let's walk through the exact steps, from placing your first word to customizing its look and feel.

Step 1: Record or Upload Your Video
Start by creating your content. You can either record a new video directly in the TikTok app by holding down the red record button, or you can upload a pre-recorded clip from your phone’s camera roll by tapping the “Upload” button.

Step 2: Access the Text Tool
Once your video is recorded or uploaded, you’ll land on the main editing screen. On the right-hand side, you'll see a toolbar with several icons. Tap the "Text" icon, which looks like "Aa", to open the text editor.

Step 3: Write and Style Your Text
A cursor will appear on your screen, ready for you to type your message. As you type, you’ll see several customization options pop up:

• Fonts: Just below your keyboard, you can swipe through various font styles, from classic to cursive to bold sans-serifs. Pick one that matches your video's vibe and is easy to read.
• Colors: To the left of the font options, you’ll see a row of colored circles. Tap any of them to change your text color. Pick one that stands out against your video background.
• Highlights and Outlines: Tap the "A" icon on the leftmost side of the toolbar. This allows you to add a background color (a highlight) to your text or put a solid outline around it. This is extremely useful for making text readable against a busy or visually complex background.
• Alignment: To the left of the font styles, an icon with horizontal lines lets you change the text justification to left-aligned, right-aligned, or centered.

Step 4: Add Text-to-Speech (Optional)
After you’ve styled your text, tap “Done.” Now, tap on the text box you just created on your video preview. A small menu will pop up with a few options. Select the icon that looks like a person's head with sound waves ("Text-to-speech"). You can now choose from several different AI-generated voices to read your text aloud. This adds a fun, often trendy layer to your content.

Step 5: Position and Resize
Once your text is on the screen, you can move it anywhere you want with your finger. Use two fingers to pinch and zoom, making the text larger or smaller to fit the frame perfectly. You can also rotate it by twisting with two fingers.

Master the Flow: How to Time Your Text Overlays

Static text is useful, but text that appears and disappears at exactly the right moment makes your video feel dynamic and professional. Timing your text is what separates beginner-level TikToks from compelling, engaging content. Here’s how you do it.

Setting the Duration of Your Text

This process allows you to control the exact start and end time of any text box you add to your video. It's perfect for creating step-by-step instructions, dialogue, or subtitles that match your video's pacing.

1. Once you've added and styled a text box, tap on it in the video preview screen.
2. In the menu that appears, select "Set duration."
3. This will open a new view with your video timeline at the bottom. You’ll see a red bar representing the duration your text is currently visible.
4. Drag the handles on the left and right ends of this red bar to adjust the start and end points. You can use the video preview above to pinpoint the exact frames where you want the text to appear and disappear.
5. Tap the checkmark when you're finished. You can play your video to preview the timing.

You can repeat this process for multiple text overlays to create a sequence. For example, in a "get ready with me" video, you can have "Step 1: Moisturizer" appear on screen, then disappear as "Step 2: Foundation" pops up. This guides the viewer smoothly through the steps, making your video much easier to follow.

Beyond the Basics: Creative Text Strategies to Hook Your Audience

Knowing how to use the tools is one thing, knowing how to use them creatively is what makes your content stand out. Here are a few 'pro-level' strategies to try.

The Instant Hook

Don't bury the lead. Start your video with a huge, bold text overlay that presents a compelling question, a shocking statement, or promises a valuable outcome. Make it fill the screen for the first 1-2 seconds before shrinking or disappearing.

Example: For a travel video, start with the text "I visited the most underrated country in Europe." It creates immediate intrigue and makes viewers want to know the answer.

The Point-by-Point Listicle

List-based videos ("3 study habits that work," "5 Amazon finds you need") perform extremely well. Use timed text overlays to enhance them. Have a title screen ("3 Mind-Blowing Canva Hacks") and then make each point appear sequentially.

Example: "1. Magic Erase" appears on screen while you demonstrate it. That text disappears, and then "2. Smart Mockups" pops up as you show the next hack. It’s clean, organized, and holds attention.

Emphasize Keywords with "Pop-Ups"

As you talk or narrate your video, use the timing tool to make single words or short phrases "pop up" on screen exactly when you say them. This adds visual emphasis and a dynamic feel that keeps the viewer’s eyes moving around the screen.

Example: In a cooking video, as you say, "...and the most important ingredient is cinnamon," have the word "cinnamon" appear on screen for just a second or two.

Common Traps: Mistakes to Avoid with Text Overlays

Adding text can be incredibly effective, but a few common mistakes can ruin the viewing experience. Here’s what not to do.

• Ignoring the 'Safe Zones': TikTok's interface (your username, the caption, the 'like' and 'comment' buttons) covers parts of the screen. This is primarily the entire right-hand edge and the bottom quarter of the video. Avoid placing important text in these "unsafe zones" where it will be obscured. Keep your text centered and slightly above the midpoint for the best visibility.
• Using Unreadable Color and Font Combos: Yellow text on a white sky? Cursive font over a busy, textured background? These are recipes for unreadability. Always use high-contrast color combinations. If your background is visually noisy, use the highlight/outline feature to make your text pop.
• Making Text Too Fast: Don't make your viewers rush to read. If a text overlay disappears too quickly, it causes frustration. A good rule is to leave text on screen long enough for you to read it through twice at a normal pace.
• Forgetting to Proofread: A typo or grammatical error can instantly make your content seem less professional. Take five extra seconds to reread everything you've written before you hit "Post." It's a small step that makes a big difference in how your brand is perceived.

Final Thoughts

Adding and timing text on TikTok is a powerful skill that can transform good videos into share-worthy content. By mastering the text tool, you can start creating more engaging, accessible, and strategic videos that capture - and hold - your audience's attention from beginning to end.

Once you’ve perfected your text overlays and created a video you're proud of, the next step is getting it out there consistently. This is why we built Postbase to help. Because our platform was designed for short-form video from day one, we make it easy to plan and schedule your TikToks, Reels, and Shorts in one visual calendar, so you never miss another great posting time. It helps you focus on creating amazing content, knowing the distribution side is always handled.