How to add text to a TikTok slideshow, one slide at a time.
Every photo in a TikTok slideshow can carry its own text. The exact steps, where TikTok's buttons cover your words, and what text looks like on 1,332 viral slideshows.
Making slideshows for an app? Type it and get three ideas, text included, in about 20 seconds. Free, no sign-up.
To add text to a slideshow on TikTok, open your photos in the editor in photo mode, swipe to a photo, tap Aa (or Text), type, then pick a font and style and drag the text into place. It only goes on that photo, so repeat on each slide.
New to photo posts? Start with how to make a slideshow on TikTok.
The steps, and the text tool labelled.
The same on iPhone and Android.
Open your photos in the editor
Tap +, tap Upload, select your photos in order and tap Next. Check the post is in photo mode (dots under the preview).
Go to the slide you want to write on
Swipe to the photo, or tap its thumbnail. Text goes on the photo that's on screen and nowhere else.
Tap Aa and type
Tap Aa (or Text) in the toolbar on the right, type your line and tap Done.
Pick a font, style and colour
Choose a font from the row above the keyboard, tap A to put the text on a box, then set alignment and colour.
Drag it into place
Drag the text and pinch to resize it. Keep it out of the bottom quarter and off the right edge (try the checker).
Repeat on each slide, then post
Swipe to the next photo and add its text. Check the whole preview, then tap Next and Post, or Drafts.
Labels vary between versions and regions; if you don't see Aa, look for Text, sometimes under a "more" arrow.
- AStyle. Switches between plain text, a solid box and a see-through box.
- ≡Alignment. Left, centred or right.
- AaFonts. Classic, Typewriter, Handwriting, Serif and Neon in most versions; newer ones have more.
- ●Colour. The letters, or the box when it's on.
One slide or all of them? It depends on the mode.
If your text shows on every photo, the post is almost always in video mode.
Photo mode: text belongs to a slide
Each photo has its own text. Write the hook on slide one and a different line on each slide after it. No timing to set: each slide stays up until the viewer swipes.
Video mode: text sits on a timeline
New text lasts the whole video, across every photo. To keep it on one, tap the text, choose Set duration and drag the ends to that photo's seconds.
Will TikTok cover your text? Move it and see.
The caption and buttons are drawn over your photo. Drag the text or pick a position to see what would cover it.
Approximate zones for a 9:16 photo on a typical phone. A long caption reaches higher.
Stay inside the middle
Keep text out of the bottom quarter, the top tabs and the strip of buttons on the right. The upper third and middle are always clear.
Give it contrast
White text on a bright photo disappears. Add an outline or a box, or move it over a darker part of the photo.
Size it for a phone
If you squint at it in the editor, it's too small. Past three short lines, use the box style so it stays readable.
What the text looks like on 1,332 viral slideshows.
Each slideshow in ClonBot's library has a note on its text style. Here they are sorted into the four looks TikTok's text tool makes.
Plain 44%
3.5M views, 3.7% saved, 9 words a slide.
Outline 23%
4.1M views, 3.1% saved, 8 words a slide.
Box 17%
2.9M views, 3.8% saved, 16 words a slide.
Shadow 14%
3.9M views, 2.8% saved, 7 words a slide.
Share of 1,320 posts with a style note, by main style; 1% have no overlay text. Median views, save rate and words per slide. Boxes carry the most words; outlines get the most views.
Words per slide after the hook, by type of post
- Photo dump4
- Recipe6
- Relatable6
- Story9
- Ranking13
- Guide16
- Checklist18
- Tips list20
Median words on slides two onwards. The hook itself is 6 to 9 words in every type; more on hooks in our TikTok hooks study.
Most style notes call the text small or tiny; 24% call it big. It reads like a caption on a photo, not a poster.
All-lowercase posts had 4.2M median views, mixed case 3.4M. The 29 all-caps posts were saved by just 2.0% of viewers.
Text on slide one only. Fine for a photo dump; for anything else, put a line on every slide, like 88% of the library.
One viral slideshow in each style. Tap to swipe through it.
Making these for an app every day? ClonBot starts from a viral slideshow, keeps its text style and length, and writes new lines for a story with your app in it.
Editing text before you post, and after.
Before you post
- Tap any text to edit it; drag it to the bin to delete it.
- Save to Drafts to change any slide later.
After you post
- Text on the photos can't be changed. Delete and repost to fix a typo.
- Some accounts get an Edit post option for a short time after posting, for the caption and cover, not the text on the photos.
Common problems and how to fix them.
- The same text is on every photo
- The post is in video mode. Switch to photo mode, or use Set duration to keep it on one photo.
- The bottom of my text is hidden
- The caption is covering it. Move it out of the bottom quarter, or shorten the caption.
- Text is cut off at the edge
- Break it into shorter lines, pinch it smaller, and keep it off the right edge.
- There's no Aa or Text button
- Update TikTok and check you're on the editing screen, not the caption screen. The web uploader has fewer tools.
- I spotted a typo after posting
- Text on a live post can't be edited. Delete it and post it again.
Questions about text on TikTok slideshows.
How do I make text appear at different times on a slideshow?
Only in video mode: tap the text, choose Set duration and drag the start and end. Photo mode has no timing, because each slide stays up until the viewer swipes.
Why can't I put text on my picture carousel on TikTok?
Usually the app needs an update, or you're on the post screen instead of the editor. Go back one screen to find Aa or Text. On a computer the uploader has fewer tools, so add text in the app.
Can I edit the text on a TikTok slideshow after posting?
Not the text on the photos. Some accounts can change the caption and cover for a short time with Edit post. To change a slide's words, delete the post and post it again.
What font do TikTok slideshows use?
Mostly TikTok's Classic font, a plain sans serif, in white: 44% of our library uses plain text, 23% an outline and 17% a box.
How much text should a TikTok slideshow have?
A hook of about 8 words, then about 4 words a slide for a photo dump or 16 to 20 for a guide or tips list. The median across 1,332 viral slideshows is 10 words per slide.
Keep reading
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