How to make captions readable on Reels and Shorts
Use a large, bold font with strong contrast, show two to four words at a time, keep captions clear of faces and the app's buttons, and pick a font designed for your script. Then check the result on a phone before posting.
Size and contrast
Reels and Shorts are watched on small screens at arm's length. Captions need to be large and bold, with a dark outline, shadow or box behind light text so they stay readable over bright or busy footage. Thin fonts and pale colours disappear on a moving background.
How many words at once
Long lines force viewers to read instead of watch. Two to four words per caption, changing with the speech, keeps the eye moving with the speaker. Word-by-word highlighting helps further, because it shows exactly where the speech is.
Where to place them
The bottom of a Reel is covered by the description and buttons, and the right side by the like and share icons. Place captions a little above the centre or in the lower third, clear of those areas, and away from faces and anything you are demonstrating.
Tip: Interfaces vary by app and device. Preview the finished video in the app's posting screen before you publish.
Fonts for Indian scripts
Many popular caption fonts only contain Latin letters, so Devanagari, Tamil or Bengali text falls back to a plain system font or breaks the matras. Choose fonts designed for the script you are using, and give taller scripts a little more line height so letters above and below the line aren't clipped.
Emphasis, not decoration
Highlight the word that carries the point, the number, the punchline or the product name, rather than colouring words at random. One accent colour used with purpose reads better than five.
Questions
What is the best font size for Reels captions?
There's no single number, because it depends on the font and frame. Captions should be readable at a glance on a phone held at arm's length; check them on a real phone.
Should captions be at the top or bottom?
Usually in the lower third or just above centre, clear of the app's description and buttons at the bottom and the icons on the right.
Do animated captions help?
Word-by-word animation helps viewers follow the speech when it is timed well. Badly timed animation distracts, so check the timing.