Facebook introduces video captions

Error message

Deprecated function: Array and string offset access syntax with curly braces is deprecated in include_once() (line 14 of /home/mediacc/public_html/themes/engines/phptemplate/phptemplate.engine).
Friday, 5 September 2014 15:36pm

Facebook has launched a major update to its accessibility features, now allowing users to add captions on videos.

The announcement comes from Facebook Accessibility’s August 2014 update, providing a complete guide to adding and viewing captions on user-uploaded video files.

Facebook’s steps to provide captions on videos are outlined below:

How do I add captions to my video?

You can add captions to a video by uploading a SubRip (.srt) file that is saved using the following format:

filename.en_US.srt

To add captions to a video as you upload it:

  1. On the page that appears after you click Post, click Edit This Video
  2. Click Choose File to select your SubRip (.srt) file
  3. Click Save

To add captions to a video you have already uploaded:

  1. Click on your video to expand it
  2. Click Options and select Edit This Video from the menu
  3. Click Choose File to select your SubRip (.srt) file
  4. Click Save

Note: To turn captions on or off, click the CC icon at the bottom of your video player.

Availability

Currently, the video captions feature is only available in the US and is not available to Australian Facebook users or mobile/tablet users.

This update comes with a number of Facebook accessibility announcements for August 2014 including new iOS button placements, Instagram gesture additions, Android labels, NVDA announcement improvements and profile photo focus features.

The recent focus on improving the accessibility of social media has been supported by recent developments in the area of government policy, such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s work towards facilitating industry discussion promoting its inclusive use.

Further information on social media accessibility can be found via our online media page, including details for captioning YouTube and Vimeo videos, finding accessible media and accessible mobile app reviews.


Top of page