YouTube’s old Annotations feature — which let you overlay text on published videos — was discontinued in 2019. Any guide still describing it is out of date. Here’s how to actually put text on a video now.
Option 1: Add Text Before Uploading (Recommended)
Editing text into the video itself before upload gives you full control over fonts, timing, animation, and placement, and the text becomes a permanent part of the file — it survives regardless of how YouTube changes its features.
Free options that handle this well: CapCut (easiest for beginners, works on desktop and mobile), DaVinci Resolve (professional-grade, steeper learning curve), and Canva’s video editor (good for simple title cards). Paid tools like Premiere Pro and Final Cut offer more, but nothing you need for basic text.
Practical Tips
- Keep text away from the edges — different devices crop slightly differently, and text too close to the bottom gets covered by YouTube’s playback controls.
- Use high contrast. White text on a light background is unreadable; add a shadow or a semi-transparent backing box.
- Leave it on screen long enough to read twice. Text that flashes past is worse than no text.
- Assume mobile. Most viewers are on phones, where text sized for a desktop preview becomes unreadable.
Option 2: Text on Shorts
If you’re creating a Short directly in the YouTube app, the built-in camera has a Text tool — tap the text icon while recording or editing to add captions and callouts, with control over timing.
Option 3: Captions and Subtitles
For spoken dialogue, YouTube auto-generates captions after upload, and you can edit them for accuracy under Studio > Subtitles. This isn’t decorative text, but it’s the right tool for making speech accessible — and worth doing, since auto-captions frequently mangle names and technical terms.
Option 4: End Screens and Cards
These are the closest surviving relatives of Annotations. End screens (last 5-20 seconds) can promote other videos, playlists, or your channel. Cards can appear at any point to link related content. Both are set up in Studio and are clickable, unlike burned-in text.
What You Can’t Do
You cannot add text to a video already published without re-uploading it. YouTube Studio’s editor allows trimming and blurring, but not adding text overlays — so if you spot a typo in burned-in text after publishing, the only fix is a corrected re-upload, which loses that video’s existing views and comments.
FAQ
Can I still use Annotations to add text?
No. Annotations were discontinued in 2019 — add text in a video editor before uploading, or use end screens and cards for clickable links.
Can I add text to a video I already published?
No. You’d have to re-upload a corrected version, which loses the original video’s views and comments.
What’s a good free tool for adding text?
CapCut is the easiest free option for beginners on both desktop and mobile; DaVinci Resolve offers more control if you want it.
Where should I position text on screen?
Keep it away from the bottom edge — YouTube’s playback controls cover that area, and devices crop edges differently.