How to Use the Edits Teleprompter

The teleprompter scrolls your script on screen as you record, much like a professional setup. It sits in the Edits camera, so there is no extra app and no separate subscription. Instagram introduced it in June 2025 to help creators look more natural when speaking to the lens in talking-head and explainer-style videos.

It is useful when you:

• Need to say a lot in a short video, such as a tutorial or product explainer.
• Get nervous or lose your place when recording without notes.
• Want fewer retakes, because you can read the next line while you speak.
• Film alone with the phone on a stand, and have no one to hold a script.

For a wider format guide, see talking-head videos.

A script written for the page sounds stiff when read aloud. Write the way you talk:

• Short sentences. One idea per line is easier to scroll and read.
• Strong first line. The hook decides whether people keep watching.
• Contractions and plain words. Say "you'll" and "use", not "you will" and "utilise".
• Line breaks where you breathe. They become natural pauses.
• Read it aloud once and change any line that trips you up.

For short videos, aim for a script you can read in the length of the clip. Plan structure first with storyboards if the video has several sections.

1. Open the camera in the Edits app.
2. Tap the script icon. A video walkthrough places it on the left side of the screen.
3. Paste an existing script or write a new one.
4. Adjust the settings (next section) until the text is comfortable to read.
5. Record. The script scrolls as you speak.

If you can't see the option, update the app first. The teleprompter is part of Edits rather than a separate app. Menu icons and positions can change between versions, so follow what your own screen shows. New to the editor? Start with the first reel guide.

Three settings decide how comfortable the teleprompter is:

• Scroll speed matches your speaking pace. Too fast and you rush; too slow and you wait on words. Do a quick practice run first.
• Text size should be large enough to read at arm's length without squinting, but small enough that you don't move your head.
• Window position can be moved so it doesn't block your camera framing. Drag it where you like.

Place the window near the lens so your eyes stay close to it. Putting it at the bottom of the screen lets you watch your expression; placing it near the top, over your face, helps if you dislike seeing yourself while you record.

The goal is to look like you're talking to the viewer, not reading. These general techniques help:

• Keep the text near the camera lens, so your eyes barely move.
• Prop the phone up. A steady shot at eye level looks more professional than a hand-held one.
• Read a phrase, then say it. Glance at the line, then speak it to the lens rather than reading word by word.
• Vary your tone. Smile, pause and emphasise key words, so it doesn't sound flat.
• Light your face from the front, with a quiet room behind you.

If you record in several takes, keep the same distance and framing. Audio matters as much as picture, so check the audio problems guide if your voice sounds thin.

Once you've recorded, you can polish the clip like any other:

1. Trim the start and end and cut any slip-ups with the trim, split and reorder tutorial.
2. Add captions so viewers can follow on mute: captions tutorial.
3. Add a title to the opening: text and titles.
4. Mix in music low under your voice: music and audio.
5. Cover jump cuts with transitions or B-roll, then export.

You don't have to write the script inside the camera. Instagram's tutorial suggests drafting it on a sticky in the Ideas tab and sending it to the teleprompter. That way you can collect lines whenever inspiration hits, then use them when you're ready to film.

• Jot the idea and the first line as a sticky.
• Expand it into a script when you've decided to film it.
• Send it to the teleprompter, then record.

Browse ideas and creative inspiration for topics, and templates for ready-made structures.

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Can't find the script icon	App out of date or different layout	Update Edits and look in the camera screen's tools
Text scrolls too fast or slow	Speed doesn't match your pace	Adjust the speed slider and run a practice take
Eyes look away from the camera	Window too far from the lens	Move the window near the lens and enlarge the text
Sounds like reading	Script is too formal	Rewrite in short, spoken sentences
Window blocks the framing	Placement	Drag it to a different position
Voice sounds quiet or noisy	Distance or room noise	Record closer in a quiet room

For lost drafts see missing drafts, and for export trouble export failed.