Check out our complete guide and learn how to add translation to Instagram Reels, Stories, posts, and other texts on the network.
One of the most common questions among users who consume content in other languages and especially among brands and creators looking to reach audiences outside Brazil is how to add translation on Instagram.
After all, as Instagram consolidates itself as a global platform, understanding how translation features work has evolved from a technical detail to a communication strategy element.
Today, it is increasingly common to find profiles with bios in English, captions in Spanish, comments in other languages, and videos spoken for an international audience.
Because of this, Instagram has been evolving its automatic translation tools to make the experience smoother for both creators and consumers of content.
Therefore, we have prepared this article to clarify the main doubts about this feature in a practical and accessible way.
In other words, throughout the text, you will understandhow automatic translation works on Instagram and how to use the feature in Reels, Stories, captions, comments, and even in the bio. Follow along.
What is Instagram’s translation feature and how does it work
To start, it’s important to understand that Instagram’s translation feature was created to facilitate communication between people who speak different languages within the platform.
In practice, it automatically identifies the original language of content and offers a translated version in the language set in the app by the user viewing that post, profile, or comment.
For a long time, this translation was basically restricted to texts like post captions and comments.
However, recently Instagram has heavily invested in artificial intelligence to enhance this experience, especially in video consumption.
Thus, in August 2025, the platform began offering the feature of AI voice translation in Reels which currently works for English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Hindi.
The goal is to allow creators to speak naturally in their language and still reach people in other countries.
To accomplish this, the system analyzes the video’s original audio, generates an automatic dubbing in the viewer’s language, and in some cases, even adjusts lip movements to make the result more natural.
But going beyond voice translation, Instagram also offers:
- Automatic translation of post and Reels captions and comments.;
- Button see translation in bio, profile name, and description.;
- Captions in Stories that can be translated automatically and aid both in comprehension and accessibility.
However, it’s worth remembering that each of these features appears differently in the app, and understanding this can avoid confusion and frustration on a daily basis.
How to add translation to Instagram Reels
Without a doubt, the automatic voice translation in Reels is one of the most talked-about novelties on Instagram.
This is because it is especially useful for creators who produce videos speaking directly to the camera and want to reach an international audience without needing to record different versions of the same content.
To activate the feature, the process occurs just before the video is published. Therefore, you should:
- Record and upload the video normally in the Reels format.
- Before publishing, tap on More options.;
- Go to the Accessibility and translation area.;
- Activate the translate voice with Meta AI option and click on Allow translations.;
- Check the currently available languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Hindi.
- Then, make sure that the lip synchronization option is activated.
- Finally, publish the Reel.
After it is published, the video displays the See translations button in the lower left corner.
From there, the user can choose to listen to the dubbed version in one of the indicated languages above.
Moreover, it’s worth noting that this feature is interesting not only for creators but also for brands that want to scale campaigns, educational or institutional content without increasing production complexity.
How to add translation to Instagram Stories
In Stories, the operation is a bit different since there is no automatic dubbing with Meta AI.
Here, the focus is on allowing the texts of your posts to be translated using the ‘See translation’ feature available just below the user’s name who made the post.
However, for this feature to truly work, the text needs to be added using the platform’s native tools.
In other words, you must edit the image or video with the caption you want to add so that Instagram can read and translate the information for your followers.
Get to know the ‘See translation’ feature better
In fact, the See translation button is probably the most well-known feature and also the one that generates the most questions among users.
As mentioned above, it appears automatically whenever Instagram detects a text is in a different language from that configured in the app by the viewer.
But beyond stories, this can also happen in other areas of the platform such as
- Post and Reels captions,
- Comments,
- And the description of the profile bio.
Thus, by tapping ‘See translation’, the user sees the translated version just below the original text.
In fact, it’s not necessary to manually activate this function for each post as everything happens automatically.
However, if the intention is to disable automatic translation, it’s important to know that you need to change the settings within the profile.
To do this, go to the Settings and privacy area, tap on Language and translation, and disable the feature for texts and audios in Reels or select the languages you prefer not to be translated.
Is it worth using automatic translation on Instagram?
In general, yes. After all, Instagram’s automatic translation helps make content more accessible, expand reach, and facilitate communication with international audiences, something that is increasingly relevant for brands, creators, and digital businesses.
On the other hand, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s a technology based on artificial intelligence.
This means that regional expressions, slang, or very specific terms may lose nuance in translation.
That being said, in strategic, institutional, or technical content, it’s still worth considering manually reviewed captions.
The ideal is to see automatic translation as a support, not a complete replacement of planned communication.
Finally, understanding how to add translation to Instagram helps not only to use the platform better but also to think about content more strategically.
Whether to reach new audiences, improve user experience, or make communication more inclusive, this feature is already part of the daily life of those who take their presence on the networks seriously.
Want to know more about how to increase engagement on Instagram and make your profile more strategic? Then be sure to check out the tips below.
FAQ: check out the frequently asked questions about the subject
Even with all these explanations, it’s normal for some doubts to persist, especially because Instagram frequently updates its features.
Thus, below we have gathered the most common questions about translation on the platform with direct answers to facilitate consultation.
AI translation is mainly available in Reels. Just access More options before publishing the video, go to Accessibility and translation, and allow voice translation with Meta AI.
It’s not necessary to activate manually. The button appears automatically when Instagram identifies that the text is in another language.
Make sure the app or your phone’s system language is set to Portuguese. This directly influences the displayed translations.
Just write the bio or the profile description normally. If it’s viewed by someone speaking a different language, Instagram will identify and translate it automatically.
This can happen due to changes in the configured language, app updates, temporary glitches, or because Instagram didn’t recognize the text as a foreign language.
