Text appears on your iPhone screen in iMovie through the Titles tool, which you access from the editing menu after you've placed a video clip on your timeline

Open iMovie on your iPhone and tap the project you want to edit, or start a new one by tapping the plus icon and selecting Movie. Once you have video clips in your timeline at the bottom of the screen, tap the clip where you want text to appear. Then tap the plus icon in the toolbar and select Titles from the menu that appears. iMovie shows you a row of text style options — choose the one that matches the look you want, and it adds a text box to your clip.

The text box appears with placeholder text that says "Title" or "Text". Tap directly on that text to replace it with what you want to say. As you type, you can see the text appear on your video preview above. When you're done typing, tap outside the text box or tap Done to lock in your changes.

Key Takeaways

  • Text in iMovie starts with selecting a video clip, tapping the plus icon, and choosing Titles from the menu.
  • You pick a text style first (like centered, lower third, or full screen) before you type your actual words.
  • The text duration matches your clip length by default, but you can make it shorter by dragging the edges of the text box in the timeline.
  • Font, size, and color all change in the inspector panel that appears after you tap a text box — swipe left on the style row to see more design options.

Choosing a text style that fits your video

iMovie gives you several text style templates, and the one you pick determines where the text sits on screen and how it looks. Centered text appears in the middle of your video and works well for titles or emphasis. Lower third text sits at the bottom of the screen and is common for names, locations, or captions. Full screen text takes up the whole frame and is best for chapter breaks or major transitions.

Swipe left in the style row to see more options beyond the first few. Each style has its own font, size, and color built in, but you can change all of those after you pick the style. The style you choose doesn't lock you into anything — you can always go back and pick a different one if the first choice doesn't feel right.

Typing and editing your text

After you select a style, tap the placeholder text to start typing. Your words replace "Title" or "Text" as you go. On an iPhone screen, the keyboard takes up the bottom half, so you see your text preview above it. If you make a mistake, use the backspace key like you normally would.

Once you finish typing, tap outside the text box or tap Done to close the keyboard. The text stays selected (you'll see a blue outline around it), so you can when ready make changes to how it looks. If you want to edit the words again later, just tap the text box once to select it, then tap it again to open the keyboard.

Changing text color, font, and size

With your text box selected, look at the bottom of the screen for the inspector panel. You'll see three icons: one for text style, one for color, and one for more options. Tap the color icon (usually a circle or paint bucket) to change the text color. iMovie shows you a color wheel where you can pick any shade, or tap the eyedropper tool to match a color from your video.

Tap the three-dot menu icon to adjust font, size, and other details. You can make text bold, italic, or all caps. The size slider lets you make text bigger or smaller — drag it left to shrink or right to enlarge. These changes explore only to the text box you have selected, so you can have different styles in the same video.

Making text appear and disappear at the right moments

By default, text stays on screen for as long as the video clip it's attached to. If you want text to appear for only part of that clip, you need to adjust its duration in the timeline. Tap and hold the text box in the timeline (the row at the bottom showing all your clips and text), then drag the right edge left to make it shorter. The text will fade out when it reaches that point.

You can also add fade-in and fade-out effects to make text appear and disappear smoothly instead of cutting off abruptly. With the text box selected, tap the three-dot menu and look for transition or effect options. Not all text styles support effects, but most do — if you don't see the option, try switching to a different text style first.

Positioning text so it doesn't cover important parts of your video

Some text styles let you move the text box around the screen. Tap the text box in your video preview (not in the timeline) and drag it to a new position. Not every style allows this — centered and lower third text are usually locked in place by design. If you need to move text but your current style won't let you, switch to a different style that gives you more freedom.

Watch your preview as you position text to make sure it doesn't cover faces, important action, or text that's already on the video. If your video has subtitles or captions already burned in, place your new text somewhere else on screen. Test your video by playing it back before you finish — what looks okay in the editor sometimes looks cramped or hard to read when you watch it full screen.

Copying text between clips and undoing changes

If you want the same text to appear on multiple clips, you don't have to type it again. Tap the text box to select it, then tap and hold until a menu appears. Tap Copy (or the copy icon if your version shows icons instead of words). Move to the next clip where you want that text, tap the plus icon, select Titles, pick a style, and then tap and hold in the text box and tap Paste. The text and formatting come over together.

If you make changes you don't like, swipe up with three fingers on the screen to undo your last action. You can undo multiple times to go back several steps. If you undo too far, swipe down with three fingers to redo. This works for text changes, deletions, position adjustments, and color changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add text to a video that's already been recorded?

Yes. Open the project containing your finished video, tap the video clip in the timeline, tap the plus icon, and select Titles. The text appears on top of your video without changing the video itself. You can add text to any clip at any point in your editing process.

What happens if my text is too long to fit on the screen?

iMovie shrinks the font size automatically to fit your words into the text box. If the text still looks too small to read, make the text box bigger by switching to a different style, or break your text into two separate text boxes on two different clips. Shorter text almost always reads better on video anyway.

Can I change the text after I've already added it to my video?

Yes. Tap the text box in the timeline to select it, then tap it again to open the keyboard and edit the words. You can also tap the text in your video preview to change its color, font, or position without opening the keyboard. Changes save automatically as you make them.

Does the text I add stay in the project if I close iMovie?

Yes. All text, formatting, and positioning saves to your project. When you reopen iMovie and tap your project, everything you added is still there. You can keep editing or export your video with the text included.

What's the difference between adding text and adding captions?

Text (Titles) is what you add manually using the Titles tool — you control exactly what it says and where it appears. Captions are automatic transcriptions of speech in your video, which iMovie can generate if you tap the caption icon. Both can appear in your final video, and you can use them together.