Adding text in iMovie is a three-step process: place your cursor where you want the text to appear, click the text button, then type and position your words on screen.
iMovie calls text overlays "titles," and they sit on top of your video rather than replacing it. You can add them at the beginning, middle, or end of a clip, and iMovie gives you preset styles that handle the timing and animation automatically. The text appears, stays visible for a few seconds, then fades out — all without you setting individual keyframes.
This guide covers iMovie on Mac. If you are using iMovie on iPad or iPhone, the steps are nearly identical, though the button locations shift slightly on a smaller screen.
Key Takeaways
- Text in iMovie is added through the Titles button in the toolbar, and you choose a style before typing anything.
- The text appears at the playhead position — the vertical line showing where your video currently sits — so position it first before clicking the text button.
- You can change the text color, font, and size after typing, and you can drag the text box around the screen to reposition it.
- iMovie automatically handles how long the text stays visible, but you can make it longer or shorter by dragging the edges of the text clip in the timeline.
Position your playhead before adding text
The playhead is the vertical line running through your timeline at the bottom of the iMovie window. It marks exactly where your video currently sits. When you add text, iMovie places it at the playhead position, so you need to move the playhead to the spot where you want the text to begin.
Click anywhere in the timeline to move the playhead there. If you want text to appear three seconds into a five-second clip, click roughly three-fifths of the way across that clip's bar in the timeline. You do not need to be exact — you can adjust the text timing later by dragging it left or right in the timeline.
Click the Titles button and choose a style
In the toolbar above your timeline, you will see a button labeled "Titles" (it looks like the letter "T"). Click it, and iMovie opens a panel on the right side showing preset text styles. Each style has a name like "Fade", "Pop", or "Bounce" — these names describe how the text enters and exits the video.
Click any style to preview it. iMovie plays a short sample showing how that text will animate. Once you find one you like, double-click it to add it to your video at the playhead position. The text box appears on your video with placeholder text that says "Title".
Type your text and adjust the size
The placeholder text "Title" is already selected, so you can start typing when ready. Your words replace it. If you need to edit the text later, double-click the text box on your video to select it again, then type your changes.
To change the text size, look at the toolbar at the top of the screen. You will see a font size dropdown (usually showing a number like 48 or 72). Click it and choose a larger or smaller size. If the text is too small to read or too large to fit on screen, adjust here. You can also change the font itself by clicking the font dropdown next to the size — iMovie offers standard options like Helvetica, Arial, and Georgia.
Reposition the text box on your video
The text box lands in the center of your video by default. To move it, click and drag the text directly on the video preview. Drag it to the top, bottom, side, or anywhere else you want it to appear. As you drag, you will see the text move in real time on the video preview.
If you want the text to stay in one spot for the entire duration it is visible, just position it once and leave it. If you want it to move across the screen — for example, sliding from left to right — you will need to use keyframes, which is a more advanced technique covered in iMovie's help menu.
Change the text color
With the text box still selected (or double-clicked to edit), look at the toolbar. You will see a color swatch — a small square showing the current text color, usually white. Click it to open the color picker. Choose any color you want, and the text updates when ready on your video.
If you want the text to stand out against a bright background, choose a dark color. If your video background is dark, choose a light color. Some editors add a semi-transparent black box behind the text to make it readable no matter what is behind it — iMovie does not do this automatically, but you can add a shape as a workaround if needed.
Adjust how long the text stays visible
By default, iMovie shows the text for a few seconds, then fades it out. To make it stay longer or disappear faster, look at the timeline at the bottom. You will see the text clip as a separate bar, usually shorter than the video clip beneath it. Drag the right edge of the text bar to the right to make it stay visible longer, or drag it to the left to make it disappear sooner.
The text will fade out over the last half-second or so of its duration, so if you want it to vanish quickly, do not make the bar too short. Experiment by dragging the edge, then play the video to see how it looks. You can always adjust it again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add text to the middle of a clip without splitting it?
Yes. Position your playhead where you want the text, click Titles, choose a style, and type. The text appears on top of the clip without cutting it into pieces. The text clip sits above the video clip in the timeline, so they layer together.
What if my text is hard to read against the video background?
Try changing the text color to white or black, whichever contrasts better with what is behind it. You can also make the text larger so it takes up more screen space. If neither works, consider adding a solid-color shape behind the text as a background, though this requires inserting a separate element.
How do I remove text I added?
Click the text clip in the timeline to select it, then press Delete or Backspace. The text disappears, but your video clip remains untouched. If you want to keep the text but hide it temporarily, you can drag its right edge all the way to the left to make its duration zero.
Can I make text appear and disappear at specific moments?
Yes, by adjusting the text clip's length in the timeline. Drag the left edge to set when it appears and the right edge to set when it disappears. The text will fade in at the start and fade out at the end, so plan for that half-second of fade time.
Do I have to use iMovie's preset styles, or can I create my own?
iMovie only offers the preset styles shown in the Titles panel. You cannot build a custom animation from scratch. However, you can change the color, font, and size of any style, which gives you some control over the final look.