In a commendable move to bolster accessibility, TikTok is setting auto captions as a default feature on all its videos from next month. This significant change was shared by Jonah Manzano through a notification, signaling TikTok's commitment to inclusivity.
Although the option for users to enable auto captions has been present, the forthcoming shift will see captions automatically appear on every video. As part of the update, the "Allow auto-captions" toggle will vanish from the upload interface.
TikTok's official statement elaborates:
“For pre-November videos, users retain the freedom to modify captions. However, post-November, eligible videos in supported languages will inherently sport captions, breaking down language barriers and reinforcing TikTok's inclusive ethos.”
Content creators still have the autonomy to edit or delete captions post-upload. However, the opt-out choice will be withdrawn, ensuring a significant surge in TikTok videos accompanied by text captions.
This progressive stride caters to users with hearing challenges and those who prefer viewing content without sound. Ideally, platforms boasting auto captioning capabilities should adopt this as a default.
While the overarching concern might seem to be about processing and capacity, in reality, the focus is primarily on processing. Caption codes, being lightweight, don't pose significant challenges. It's noteworthy that platforms like YouTube and Facebook/Instagram offer auto captions in select languages, albeit not as a standard and not universally.
As digital platforms evolve, such default accessibility measures will likely become commonplace. TikTok's initial rollout will cover English videos, with plans to incorporate more languages in the pipeline.
