Instagram continues to expand its creator tools with a new translation feature that allows users to translate messages directly within the DM interface.

The update simplifies global communication, making it easier to translate messages into your preferred language in real-time. Currently, the Instagram translation feature is only available on mobile, with no desktop support.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to use Instagram’s new translation tool, alongside how to translate images and videos from your mobile device, helping you connect with a wider audience across all media formats.

Table of Contents

• How to Translate Messages on Instagram
• How to Translate Instagram Videos
• How to Translate Instagram Images

How to Translate Messages on Instagram

On iOS and Android, Instagram lets you translate messages directly within your DMs as of February 2025.

To use this feature, tap the messages icon in the top-right corner of the mobile app home screen. Then, open a conversation and find any message you want to translate.

To translate a message, tap and hold until a list of message options appears. Select Translate from the list.

Instagram displays the translated message instantly beneath the original, making multilingual conversations easier to follow and understand.

The translation feature is especially valuable for content creators and businesses looking to stay interactive and responsive with their followers. Many brands manage multiple social media accounts with limited time and resources, and automatic Instagram message translation helps them efficiently engage with global customers.

However, a key limitation is that Instagram does not currently support translating outbound messages. While incoming messages can be translated, there’s no built-in option to respond in another language. 

Replying in a user’s native language makes interactions more personal, saves time, and fosters a stronger connection. Whether managing a personal brand or business account, this small effort can leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Since social media thrives on rich visual content, translated messages are a great start, but images and videos create a deeper connection with your audience. With Kapwing, you can easily create and share dubbed videos, helping you reach a wider, multilingual audience. Additionally, the AI-powered translation tool lets you upload any image with text and automatically translate it into 70+ languages, enabling you to connect with your global audience more effectively than ever.

How to Translate Instagram Videos

To translate an Instagram video, start by uploading your video to the Editor. You have two options for uploading:

• Upload a file: Select a video from your local device, such as a mobile camera roll video you plan on uploading to Instagram.
• Add a link: Import videos from Instagram Posts or Reels (this does not work for Stories)

Once uploaded, navigate to the Subtitles menu at the bottom of the screen and select Dub Video.

Choose your desired translation language, then customize your settings by selecting options such as a cloned or stock voice.

When finalized, click Dub Video > to begin processing.

The dubbing process may take a few minutes, but because Kapwing is an online cloud-based editor, you can close the project and return later without interrupting the process. Likewise, you can start another project in a new tab simultaneously, allowing you to start the editing process on multiple Instagram videos at once — something that traditional apps are limited by.

Once the dubbing is complete, review your translated captions in the Subtitles menu. Here, you can refine the translation and use the Smart Tools dropdown menu to access features like custom spelling options, automatic emojis in subtitles, and Lip Sync.

The Lip Sync tool uses AI to automatically adjust lip movements to match the dubbed audio, making multilingual content feel more natural and engaging. For influencers and creators producing tutorials, how-to videos, customer support videos, or educational content, it’s the perfect tool to help effortlessly expand reach to global audiences.

Our data shows that content creators are using Kapwing to upload their Instagram videos and dub or subtitle them into Chinese before publishing on RedNote, a rapidly growing social media platform with a 70-80% Chinese-speaking user base.

Once you've made adjustments, your translated video is ready to export and share, delivering your message in a way that feels more personal to your audience while giving you precise control over your content.

The online studio also includes automatic resizing, ensuring your video fits Instagram’s aspect ratios perfectly. Plus, the Safe Zones feature helps keep important text and visuals visible within Instagram’s interface, preventing key content from being cropped or obstructed.

How to Translate Instagram Images

Unlike video, images have traditionally been more difficult to translate automatically since they lack audio context. Translated text often varies in length due to language structure differences, which can disrupt the original layout and design. Manually adjusting text can also be challenging if the new text box doesn’t blend seamlessly with the image’s colors or style.

The AI Image Translator solves both problems by automatically translating text while preserving the original visual design.

To translate an image on mobile, upload your image with text into the editor. Then, navigate to AI Tools in the bottom menu and select Translate Text.

Next, select your target language and tap Translate Text to generate the translated version. The tool automatically places the translated text inside a box that matches the original background color, ensuring a seamless look.

For further customization, tap the text box to access the text-editing banner, where you can adjust the font, color, borders, and more to fine-tune the translation to your preference.

An image translator tool is invaluable for translating infographics, memes, and branded visuals, making Instagram content easily adaptable for multilingual audiences.

Whether you're looking to launch a Spanish version of an English-speaking meme page or replicate an Instagram marketing campaign in Chinese while preserving its original design, this tool allows you to create professional, translated images in just a few clicks.