Social networking service Instagram has recently introduced a new feature supporting auto-generated captions for videos on the app. This new feature is targeted towards boosting the app accessibility for users in the hard-of-hearing and deaf communities.
In addition, the feature will cater to users who prefer to watch videos with the sound off. This new feature launch is geared towards gaining a competitive edge over rivals like TikTok, which also has rolled out its auto-captions feature in April 2021.
Instagram has officially confirmed that the new auto-generated captions will initially support 17 languages including English, Japanese, Indonesian, Hindi, Malay, Urdu, Tagalog, Thai, Russian, Turkish, German, Italian, Vietnamese, Arabic, French, French, and Spanish, with more languages coming soon.
Adam Mosseri, Instagram head, has reportedly revealed that the users can turn the captions on or off by going to the advanced settings. The social media platform is also planning to further improve the AI behind the new feature. It has also been placing a major emphasis on expanding its short-form TikTok rival, Reels, by releasing similar features.
Over the past months, Instagram has been launching new features and updating its platform to hold a leading position in the competitive business landscape. For instance, earlier in 2022, the company announced that the users will be able to remix any video content including Reels videos on its app.
In addition, Instagram launched its version of TikTok Duets, Remix in March 2021. Towards the end of 2021, the platform also unveiled a ‘Reels Visual Replies’ feature, enabling users to reply to various comments on posts with Reels.
The recent launch of the auto-generated captions happened a day after Instagram announced the ending of support for the standalone IGTV app to have all videos on the main app. The company has reiterated its focus on Reels and revealed that the video platform will continue to be the key contributor to the growth of the app engagement.
Source credit:
https://techcrunch.com/2022/03/01/instagram-is-rolling-out-auto-generated-captions-for-videos/