How to add readable captions for mobile apps

The approach

A useful mobile apps video gives the viewer something they can inspect. For a habit-tracking app, that means: record one habit and show the next screen. The focus here is how to make words legible without covering proof; it does not assume a particular tool can reproduce the real product perfectly.

Define the output

Choose one viewer question: how long the first action takes. The clip should make the actual app flow visible. For this format, make one production decision early: review the export on a phone-size screen. Decide what a pass looks like before generating: the item must match the source, the action must be readable, and the claim must be supported.

Work through the brief

1. Capture an accurate reference of a habit-tracking app, with enough room around it for a vertical crop.
2. Frame the scene around a screen recording with voiceover and ask for caption placement. Describe the action in plain terms: record one habit and show the next screen.
3. Write a short line that explains only what is visible. Read it aloud at the intended duration.
4. Generate one rough version. Watch it once at full speed, then pause where the product is closest to camera.
5. Record each defect, fix the largest one, and rerun only if the change can improve the final ad.

Review the result

The common failure here is text over hands or product. Check the product shape, text, hand placement, voice, and transition into the final frame. If the clip implies features absent from the current build, remove the line or replace the whole shot with real footage. Keep a note of the rejected versions; they matter when calculating the cost of a usable video. A convincing image alone does not prove an accurate product demonstration.

The VibesUGC blog has a reference-frame workflow and a cost worksheet for the next pass.