Canva captions are editable, AI-generated subtitles you add to a video or a supported audio file from the Captions option under Text or Apps, and you can generate them on desktop even without a paid plan. As of October 2026 they sit on their own layer in the video timeline, so you can change the words and timing, choose from more than 20 style packs and download them with your video as an MP4.
Here's the part that confuses people. Canva has two kinds of captions. Editable Captions are the AI-generated ones this page covers. The captions you get through Accessibility tools and the Show captions button are a different feature, and none of the editing, styling or animation options apply to them. If your captions won't edit, that's the first thing to check.
What your design needs before captions will generate
- The right design type: a video, a social media design, or a supported audio file in M4A, MP3, OGG, WAV or WEBM. Go to File and you'll see the design type under the design name.
- Speech. Captions only generate for media with someone talking.
- A finished upload on desktop. Wait until the video has fully uploaded before you generate.
- On mobile, nothing to wait for. Videos now appear straight in the Captions panel, and only the audio is processed, so captions come back faster.
Generating captions step by step
- Open the Text tab and, under Dynamic text, select Captions. Or open Apps and search for Captions.
- Select the video or audio file you want captioned, then choose Captions from the toolbar.
- If you've got several clips, deselect any you don't want under Apply captions to.
- Choose a caption style pack.
- Select Generate captions. Canva adds them to your video timeline.
Style packs and your Brand Kit
Canva offers more than 20 curated style packs. Each one bundles a font, color and animation with accessibility-safe defaults, and they animate as you browse, so you can preview them before you commit. To switch, select any caption segment, open Captions from the toolbar, go to the Styles tab and pick a pack. It applies to every caption in the video, and the color picker updates the preview live.
Two limits catch people. If no styles match your Brand Kit, they're hidden and the Brand Kit default shows instead. And style packs are only available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Indonesian and German for now, with more locales promised. For one-off changes, select a single caption and use the toolbar to adjust its font, color, size or effects.
Animating captions
Select the caption segment in the timeline, choose Animate on the menu bar, and pick one of the three caption animations: Reveal, Highlight or Snake. You can also use Canva's other animations. Canva says this is still rolling out, so if you can't see the options, keep the app updated.
Editing the words, timing and position
Select a caption segment and type to fix the text, or open the Captions panel from the toolbar and edit line by line. To change timing, drag the start and end edges of a segment so it stays on screen for the right length of time. Captions for audio files only show in the video timeline, not in page view.
To move captions, drag them where you want them, then repeat on every page that needs the same placement. Deleting works three ways: select one caption and choose Delete on the floating toolbar, hover over a line in the Captions tab and click the delete icon, or use Delete all captions in the Captions panel to clear every added video.
When captions go wrong
| Problem | Likely cause | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| The Captions option isn't there | The design isn't a supported type, or the media has no speech | Check the design type under File and wait for the upload to finish |
| Captions won't generate | Unclear speech, loud background noise or music over the speech | Re-upload the video from Uploads on desktop and lower the background audio |
| Words are wrong or missing | Noise, music or unclear speech confusing the speech recognition | Use Audio tools, then Enhance voice, and regenerate or edit by hand |
| You can't edit them | They were made with Accessibility tools | Check whether editing options appear in the toolbar or Captions panel |
| They're out of sync | You trimmed or adjusted segments after generating | Play the video and drag each segment's edges to match the audio |
| Some style packs are missing | Brand Kit restrictions, or your locale isn't supported yet | Check your Brand Kit settings or try another design |
Canva is honest that Enhance voice is a workaround and may not work every time. Its last resort is adding captions manually with the Text tool and lining each text box up with the audio. On mobile, if a device video won't caption, remove it and add it back from your camera roll through the Captions panel.
Downloading a video with captions
Export as an MP4 video. Captions aren't embedded in image formats or PDFs, so if you download a still or a PDF, they won't be there.
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My verdict on Canva captions
I'd use them on every short social video you make in Canva, because they're quick to generate, easy to restyle and they come out with the MP4. I'd skip relying on them for noisy footage or anything with music under the speech, where you'll spend longer fixing words than typing them. Generate captions after you've finished cutting, not before, or you'll be dragging timings back into place. If you're still building the edit, here's my walkthrough on making a video in Canva, and on trimming a video in Canva.
Captioning every clip by hand is the sort of repetitive job I help teams hand over to automation. I run AI training and workshops for teams, and help businesses with AI enablement and workflow automation, so the busywork runs itself and people get time back. Most of that work is with SaaS marketing teams and small businesses. Here's how we can work together.
Frequently asked questions
Are Canva captions free?
You can generate and animate captions in Canva on desktop, even without a paid plan.
Can I change the timing of captions in Canva?
Yes. Captions appear as a dedicated timeline layer, so you can edit the text and drag the start and end of each segment.
Can I download my Canva video with captions?
Yes, by exporting it as an MP4 video. Captions won't be embedded in image formats or PDFs.
Why can't I edit my captions in Canva?
They were probably created with Accessibility tools rather than Captions. The editing features only apply to AI-generated captions.
Which languages are Canva caption style packs available in?
English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Indonesian and German, with support for more locales to be added.
