The 50 Best Instagram Captions for 2020

It's not always easy to capture the essence of an Instagram post in words. The photo or video might be the main focal point of any post on Instagram, but taking the time to create the best Instagram caption you can always helps the viewer see it the way you want them to see it.

So instead of rushing to post your photos and videos to Instagram with one-word captions, emoji captions or no captions at all, consider grabbing a few ideas from the list of best Instagram quotes and sayings below.

Lifewire / Julie Bang

Feel Good Instagram Captions

It's natural to want to share your happiness with others. Whether you're flashing a genuine smile in a selfie or capturing the incredible beauty of a sunset in your post, a good quote that captures the joy and happiness you're feeling can be contagious to your followers.

1. "When you can't find the sunshine, be the sunshine."

2. "The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they make the best of everything."

3. "Be happy. It drives people crazy."

4. "Say yes to new adventures."

5. "Every day may not be good but there's good in every day."

Cute Instagram Captions

Your followers will find it hard not to tap the like button on any post of yours that makes them go, "Aww!" These cute captions are perfect for that adorable video of your playful pup or that photo or your newborn niece.

6. "Dream big, little one!"

7. "Cute as a button, but not quite as smart."

8. "7 billion smiles, and yours is my favorite."

9. "You do the most adorable things without realizing."

10. "Don't grow up... It's a trap!"

Funny Instagram Captions

There's nothing like an Instagram caption that can make your followers literally laugh out loud. A little humor goes a long way, and it can be a nice change of pace on a platform that tends to be overused for vanity and perfection.

11. "Handle every situation like a dog. If you can't eat it or play with it, just pee on it and walk away."

12. "Being an adult is like folding a fitted sheet. No one really knows how."

13. "I'm not lazy. I'm on energy-saving mode."

14. "I was going to take over the world this morning but I overslept. Postponed. Again."

15. "I never make the same mistake twice. I make it like five or six times, you know, just to be sure."

Clever Instagram Captions

A clever quote that really makes you think can be the perfect caption to pair with a stunning photo of a natural landscape or anything with an artsy look to it. Your followers will appreciate that little tidbit of wisdom you offer them!

16. "Having a soft heart in a cruel world is courage, not weakness."

17. "The idea is to die young . . . as late as possible."

18. "Do more things that make you forget to check your phone."

19. "You are what you do, not what you say you'll do."

20. "I literally have to remind myself all the time that being afraid of things going wrong isn't the way to make things go right."

Best Friend Instagram Captions

What better way to use social media than by showing just how much you appreciate your best friends? Captions that make your best friends feel loved and valued just might inspire them to return the favor!

21. "You and I are more than friends. We're like a really small gang."

22. "Friends are the family we choose for ourselves."

23. "F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Fight for you. Respect you. Include you. Encourage you. Need you. Deserve you. Stand by you."

24. "Some people arrive and make such a beautiful impact on your life, you can barely remember what life was like without them."

25. "Friendship isn't a big thing. It's a million little things."

Song Lyric Instagram Captions

We've seen some great new singles from both popular and emerging artists. Some of their lyrics even make perfect Instagram captions.

26. "I'll stop wearing black when they make a darker color." — Wilson (Expensive Mistakes) by Fall Out Boy

27. "This may be the night that my dreams might let me know... All the stars are closer." — All the Stars by Kendrick Lamar & SZA

28. "Feeling like a boss, and staring at the stars, it doesn't matter the cost, 'cause everybody wants to be famous." — Everybody Wants to Be Famous by Superorganism

29. "Shine on, diamond, don't make me wait another day." — My My My! by Troye Sivan

30. "No point in holding onto what's broken, so let's live in the moment. When one door closes, another one opens. Stop trying to control it and start living in the moment." — Live in the Moment by Craig David

Birthday Instagram Captions

Whether you're wishing someone a happy birthday or celebration your own, you probably don't want to sound like a Hallmark card in your Instagram caption. These birthday captions are both clever and funny.

31. "Birthdays are nature's way of telling us to eat cake."

32. "Birthday: A day to celebrate that you haven't died in the last year."

33. "I don't look a day over fabulous!"

34. "The older you get, the better you get. Unless you're a banana."

35. "Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest."

Short Instagram Captions

Many Instagram posts speak for themselves. When you're in a rush to get something posted and don't have much time to think or tap away on your device's keyboard, keep it simple with some of these short and sweet captions.

36. "Aspire to inspire before you expire."

37. "Darling, you are a work of art."

38. "Choose kindness and laugh often."

39. "Clear your mind of can't."

40. "Every moment matters."

Food Instagram Captions

Food posts on Instagram are just as popular as ever. So next time you're eating out at a great restaurant or finished preparing a delicious meal for yourself, pair it with a caption like one of the following.

41. "I'm on a seafood diet. I see food and I eat it."

42. "Cupcakes are muffins that believe in miracles."

43. "Did you say exercise? Or extra fries?"

44. "I'm just a girl, standing in front of a salad, asking it to be a donut."

45. "My head says gym but my heart says tacos."

Instagram Captions for Couples

When you're in love, you want the whole world to know it. If you're not afraid of getting a little mushy on Instagram, consider adding one of these ultra lovey-dovey captions to a post featuring you and your better half.

46. "Forget the butterflies, I feel the whole zoo when I'm with you."

47. "Fall in love with somebody who will never let you go to sleep wondering if you still matter."

48. "She's the exclamation mark in the happiest sentence that I could ever possibly write."

49. "Sometimes, someone comes into your life so unexpectedly, takes your heart by surprise, and changes your life forever."

50. "I love that you are my person and I am yours, that whatever door we come to, we will open it together."