Instagram tests new sticker feature in effort to generate auto-captions for IG Stories

Popular social media and photo-sharing platform Instagram is taking a step forward for accessibility as it is testing a new sticker for Stories that automatically generates captions. While taking to Twitter, social media consultant Matt Navarra shared a video of the feature in action and informed that a new sticker, called ‘Captions’, can be added to any story with a video just like one would add a normal sticker on Instagram stories. The feature will transcribe the audio and users will have the option to change the font of the captions. 

The latest feature is currently only showing up to select users. According to Engadget, Instagram said that the platform is exploring ways for people to better express themselves in Stories. It further, however, confirmed that the feature is still not available for public testing.  

Big boost for accessibility 

Instagram’s move is believed to be a big boost for accessibility, especially for hard of hearing users. The feature could come in useful for those who speak different languages too. While there are third-party services that Instagram users can harness to add captions, the upcoming feature, however, could translate the text. 

Further, the Caption sticker will also enable a range of new content formats for creators on Instagram. The tools will help creators reach new audiences, enabling more users to enjoy Stories in which audio is turned off. It is worth noting that the new feature will be another way to synchronise test with video and audio with the Stories. 

Meanwhile, Instagram had previously also introduced something similar to its camera-first Threads app. Released back in November, the app allowed users to automatically add captions to their videos. It, however, didn’t do well for the company, but thousands of users did create videos with auto-generated captions in Threads and post the clips on TikTok. The app could also automatically censor curse words while generating captions, but the feature is not available to all Threads users. 

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