How to Add Text to a Screen Recording on Mac

The quickest free way to add text to a screen recording on a Mac is iMovie. Drag your recording into a new movie project, click Titles, drag a title onto the timeline above the clip, then type your text in the viewer. QuickTime Player has no text tool.

Sometimes you need text you can place anywhere on the frame, line up to the exact frame and put on a background box. For that, use a screen recorder with a text tool. In Screen Bolt (our app), open the editor's Text panel and click Add Text Overlay (or press T). One catch: in Screen Bolt exports, every text animation comes out as a fade.

Which method to use

Pick iMovie if you need a title or a few captions on an existing recording and your Mac runs a recent enough macOS. Pick Screen Bolt if you add labels to screen videos often and want them placed exactly over the part of the screen you're talking about.

Add text to a screen recording with iMovie titles

iMovie is Apple's free video editor. It edits video files rather than capturing your screen, so record first with the built-in Screenshot toolbar. For more on recording, see how to screen record on Mac.

1. Press ⇧⌘5 (Command-Shift-5).
2. Choose Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion.
3. Click Record and do your demo.
4. Click the stop button in the menu bar. The file is saved to your Desktop unless you changed the location under Options.
5. Open iMovie and create a new movie project.
6. Drag the screen recording file into the project timeline.
7. Click Titles above the browser.
8. Drag a title style onto the timeline, above the clip, at the point where the text should appear.
9. Double-click the placeholder text in the viewer and type your own.
10. Use the text controls above the viewer to change the font, size and color.
11. Drag the left or right edge of the title in the timeline to set how long it stays on screen.
12. Click the Share button in the toolbar to export the finished movie. What iMovie does well: it's free, it comes from Apple, and you can move a project to Final Cut Pro later if you outgrow it.

What it can't do for screen recordings:

• Free placement. Text positions come from the title style. You can't drag a label next to a specific button or menu.
• Older Macs. As of November 2026, the US Mac App Store listing requires macOS 26.6 or later. Requirements shown in other countries' stores have differed, so check the listing on your Mac.
• Screen-recording effects. It works on the finished video file, so there's nothing like click-based zooms or cursor effects.

The iMovie listing on the Mac App Store shows the current requirements.

Add text overlays in Screen Bolt

Screen Bolt records your screen and opens the recording in a timeline editor. Text overlays sit on top of the recording and can go anywhere on the frame.

1. Record a display, window or area with Screen Bolt. When you stop, the editor opens (the default After recording setting is Open editor).
2. Move the playhead to the moment the text should appear.
3. Click the Text panel in the sidebar on the right.
4. Click Add Text Overlay, or press T. A 3-second overlay reading "Title" appears at the playhead.
5. Under Edit Text, replace "Title" with your text.
6. Set the position, size and style (see the next section).
7. Click Export in the toolbar.
8. Choose a Format (MP4, MOV or GIF) and a Quality.
9. Click Export in the sheet. Every overlay you add appears in the Text Items list in the panel, with the count in parentheses. To remove the overlay you're editing, click Delete under Edit Text.

The free version has no time limit and includes the text tools. Its exports carry a "Made with Screen Bolt" watermark, are limited to 720p and 3 minutes, and can't be GIFs. Screen Bolt Pro removes those limits for $79 one-time, as of November 2026 (see pricing).

Adding text to a recording you already made

You don't have to re-record. Choose File > Create project from video... and pick your existing recording. You can add text overlays and export, but keep these limits in mind:

• Edits to an imported video are not saved. Finish and export in the same session.
• Imported videos have no cursor data, so automatic click zooms and cursor effects aren't available. You can still add zooms by hand.
• Free-version limits still apply, so a video longer than 3 minutes won't export without Pro.

Position, size, weight and background

All of these are under Edit Text in the Text panel.

To place a label next to a specific button, drag the overlay on the preview instead of picking a preset position. You can resize it there too.

If you export with the free version, keep text out of the bottom-right corner. That's where the watermark sits.

Time text to the action

Text that appears as you click looks deliberate. Text that shows up after the action is over looks like a mistake. These editor controls help you line it up:

• Find the exact frame. Press ← or → to step one frame (1/30 s) at a time. Press ⇧← or ⇧→ to jump 5 seconds. Press Space to play or pause. While paused, hover over the clip track to skim.
• Mark moments first. Play through once and press M at each spot that needs a label. Then use [ and ] to jump between markers and add text at each one. Markers are for navigation only and don't appear in the export.
• Set the length. Use the Duration slider, or drag the edges of the text item on the timeline. Drag the whole item to move it in time.
• Reuse a style. Right-click a text item on the timeline and choose Duplicate. Then change the copy's words and timing instead of restyling from scratch.
• Keep overlapping labels apart. Click Add Track to get another overlay track, then right-click an item and use Move to Track to sort items between tracks.

The 3-second default works for a two- or three-word label. A full sentence needs longer. Read it aloud twice while the preview plays, and if it disappears before you finish, extend it.

Animations and what actually exports

The Animate In menu offers seven animation styles plus None, and the editor preview shows them. The exported file doesn't. In exports, every text animation is rendered as a fade. A Slide Up, Scale Up or Typewriter overlay will fade in when you play the MP4, MOV or GIF.

To avoid surprises:

• Choose Fade In so the preview matches the export.
• If a typewriter or sliding title matters to you, Screen Bolt can't produce it today. Use a general video editor for that shot.

The text itself, with its position, size, weight, color and timing, is part of the export in all three formats. GIF export (Pro only) bakes your text into the frames. GIFs run at about 10 fps, so fades look steppier there.

Readability tips

• Give text a backing. Screen recordings are busy, and white text over a white web page disappears. Turn on Background and raise BG Opacity until the words stand out, or turn on Outline.
• Write labels, not paragraphs. "Click Save" beats "Now you'll want to go ahead and click the Save button." Put longer explanations in your voiceover.
• Don't cover the action. If you're clicking in the lower half of the screen, move the text up. The default Bottom Center position can sit right over toolbars and status bars.
• Check it small. If people will watch in a Slack embed or a small browser window, play the export at that size. Increase Font Size or Weight if you have to squint.
• Point instead of describing. When the text is about one spot on screen, an arrow or a dimmed surround often works better than words. See adding arrows and shapes and adding a spotlight effect.

For more on keeping on-screen text and UI legible, see how to make text readable in screen recordings.

If it doesn't work

• iMovie won't install. As of November 2026, the US Mac App Store listing requires macOS 26.6 or later. If your Mac can't run that, use Screen Bolt (macOS 14 or later) or another editor.
• You can't move iMovie text where you want it. Position is fixed by the title style. Try a different style, or use an editor with free placement.
• The exported Screen Bolt text fades instead of sliding or typing. This is expected: all text animations export as fades. Set Animate In to Fade In so the preview matches.
• Your text disappeared after reopening a video. Videos opened with Create project from video..., Open project... (with a movie file) or Recover unfinished recordings... don't save edits. Add the text again and export before closing. Recordings made in Screen Bolt are saved as projects and autosave.
• Export is refused on the free version. Free exports are limited to 3 minutes, and the check uses the full recording length, even if you trimmed it shorter. Record shorter takes, or upgrade to Pro.
• GIF or quality above 720p shows "Upgrade to Screen Bolt Pro". GIF export and the 1080p, 4K and Original presets need a license. Export as MP4 or MOV at 720p on the free version.

FAQ

Can I add text to a screen recording in QuickTime Player? No. QuickTime Player has no text or title tool. Open the file in iMovie or another editor.

Can Screen Bolt add captions or subtitles automatically? No. Screen Bolt has no transcription or caption feature. Each text overlay is typed by hand.

Will my text show up in a GIF? Yes. Screen Bolt bakes all edits, including text, into GIF exports. GIF export needs Screen Bolt Pro, and recordings longer than 60 seconds can't be exported as GIFs (the check uses the full recording length).

If you're adding text as part of a bigger edit with trims, cuts and speed changes, see how to edit a screen recording on Mac.