Microsoft PowerPoint Adds SRT File Support for Captions and Subtitles

Microsoft has introduced a new accessibility feature for Microsoft PowerPoint that allows users to import SRT files to add captions and subtitles to presentations. This feature supports captions on videos embedded within presentations, with PowerPoint automatically converting SRT files to WebVTT format for compatibility with older versions and popular web browsers.

Users can add multiple caption files to the same video by selecting the video and navigating to Playback Insert Captions or Video Edit Captions Insert captions from file in PowerPoint for the web. Captions can be activated during playback by clicking the captions button on the video.

Microsoft recommends using apps like Clipchamp to create and edit SRT files, suggesting UTF-8 encoding for better compatibility. In Microsoft Teams meetings, PowerPoint Live enables participants to activate captions independently, even if the presenter does not, with the feature also available in the Teams mobile app. SRT support is available in PowerPoint on Windows Version 2411 (Build 18227.10000) or later, macOS Version 16.91 (Build 24111020) or later, and Web Build 16.0.18306.40500 or later. The rollout is gradual, so some users may experience delays in accessing the feature.