How to make a texting-story video for Instagram Reels
Build a texting-story Reel in five moves: write the chat, choose the look, set the pace, export vertical and check the cover frame before you post.
Try it: start from this sample
Did you tell the landlord about the cat?
Which cat?
The one asleep in his office chair right now.
That is not mine. I am almost sure.
Write the chat before you open the editor
Reels reward a clear small story, so draft on paper first. Write one line for the situation, one for the twist and one for the last bubble. The sample above is exactly that: a question, a confused reply, a reveal, then a shaky denial. Four messages also fit the Free plan while you test the idea, which keeps your first draft cheap to change.
Pick the look, then the shape
Choose the Instagram look, which is available on the Free plan and draws its own interface in a general Instagram-style layout. ChatsRat is not tied to that app and uses the name only to describe the kind of layout. Dark mode reads well on a bright feed. Then open the export dialog: this preset opens it at 9:16, and video export itself needs the Creator plan.
Set the speed and export
In the animation controls, normal speed shows a new message about every second, fast about every half second and slow about every two. Count your bubbles: four messages at normal speed is a few seconds of motion, so add a typing indicator before the reveal to give it room. Export, then watch the file once on your phone with the sound on and once with it off.
Post it with the right framing
Upload the file in the Reels flow and pick a cover frame where the last message is visible, since the profile grid may crop the cover differently from the feed. The numbers on this page are typical as of November 2026; Instagram changes its Reels rules, so check its own help page before you publish. Say the story is fictional in your caption.
Tips
- Open on the strangest line, not on a greeting.
- Keep each bubble to one line so it reads at arm's length.
- Use one typing indicator, placed right before the reveal.
- Watch the export on a real phone before posting.
- Name the story fictional in the caption every single time.
Questions
Do I need the Creator plan to make a Reel?
Writing and previewing the chat works on the Free plan, which exports a PNG with a visible watermark. Video files, the 9:16 shape, sound effects and captions need the Creator plan.
Does this connect to my Instagram account?
No. ChatsRat makes a video file on its own. You upload it yourself, and you follow Instagram's rules and ChatsRat's acceptable use policy.
Can I use real people in the chat?
No. Use invented first names and a harmless scenario. Never imitate a real person, and do not present the video as a real conversation.
Can the Reel have a voice?
Yes, on the Creator plan. You can have each message read by its own voice or use a single narrator, in eight supported languages.
Use it for simulated, labelled content. ChatsRat makes mock-ups and fictional conversations for creators, designers and teachers. Do not use it to pass off a made-up conversation as a real one, to impersonate a real person, or as proof of anything. See the Acceptable Use policy.
About the watermark. Exports on the Free plan carry a visible ChatsRat watermark, and every export carries an invisible mark that the verify page can read. Plans list what changes on paid plans.
ChatsRat is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any messaging app. App names on this page describe a style only.