The three kinds of text in a Reels export
Not all text in a Reel behaves the same way, and it helps to know which one you are dealing with before you upload.
Burned-in captions are the words you typed in the editor. They sit in a fixed position for their whole duration, which makes them the easiest case — select the caption band once and the model handles every frame.
- Editor captions: fixed position, high contrast, the easiest to remove cleanly
- Sticker text and GIF captions: often animated or rotating, harder to mask
- The @handle stamp: semi-transparent, sits near the lower edge, usually removable
Why cropping is the wrong fix for vertical video
The usual workaround is to scale the clip up and push the handle off-frame. On a 9:16 clip that means losing 8–12% of the height, and the remaining frame has to be resampled — so a 1080p source lands softer than it started.
It also breaks the safe zone. Reels and TikTok both overlay their own UI on the lower third; a cropped clip that pushed its text up now collides with the comment button. Reconstruction keeps the original layout intact.
Re-captioning workflow
Strip the original captions, download the clean file, then lay in the new language in your editor. Because resolution, frame rate and duration are untouched, a caption file timed to the original still lines up.
If you are localising, run the clean export through your usual transcription step rather than re-typing — the audio track is copied through unchanged.
Frequently asked questions
Can I remove the Instagram watermark from my own Reel?+
You can remove a text or handle watermark that you select. Note that removing another creator’s watermark to repost their work is a copyright issue and against Instagram’s terms — this tool is for footage you own.
Will the video stay 9:16?+
Yes. The output keeps the input resolution and aspect ratio, capped at 1080p. Nothing is cropped, letterboxed or rescaled.
The captions move around the frame — will that work?+
Manual selection defines a fixed region, so captions that jump position need a box large enough to cover every position they occupy. If they drift across the whole frame, run the clip in segments or use automatic mode.
How do I get the file out of Instagram?+
Use Your activity → Download your information, or export the original from your editor if you still have the project. Re-downloading a published Reel gives you a re-compressed copy, which is usable but softer.