• by Colin Kirkland , 4 hours ago

X has launched text overlays -- the ability to embed text and emojis in a video clip -- a creative editing option consumers and brands have come to expect on competing social platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

“Add text to any video,” X’s creator products engineer Allegra Jacchia posted, announcing the addition of text overlay on the X iOS video editor.

Jacchia’s post includes a short video clip of her posing in a dress overlaid with text: “an Italian summer.” The simple editing capabilities showcased here mark X’s expansion into its recently adopted video-first approach, as the company tries to incentivize more creators to post original video content to the app.

Notably, Snapchat added text overlays to video in 2012, while Instagram did so in 2016 for its Stories format, and TikTok introduced the option to its user base in 2019.

X’s adoption of this popular creative option aligns with the traditionally text-based app’s recent push into video content.

Following former X CEO Linda Yaccarino’s 2024 video-first strategy, X has recently announced a livestream studio launch, payout incentives for live video-creators, and a new video editor hub for iOS users.

In July, prior to stepping down as X’s head of product, Nikita Bier wrote that video posts “make up close to half the impressions on X.” In response, the company has even tweaked its recommendation algorithm to accommodate this influx in video content.