How to Turn Off Closed Captions

Closed captions can be switched on in several places at once: the TV, a cable or satellite box, a streaming app, a media player, your operating system or a video calling tool. If you turn them off in one place and they still appear, another layer is usually still showing them. This guide goes through each layer so you can find the one that controls your captions.

Before you start

Turning captions off changes how your device or account displays video. It does not edit the video or the broadcast. Some streaming services save caption preferences to your profile, so a change may carry over to other devices signed in to the same account. Check your service's account settings if this matters to you.

• The remote or input device for the screen you are watching.
• The source that is playing: TV tuner, cable or satellite box, streaming app, game console or computer.
• The profile or account you are signed in to, if the app uses profiles.
• Whether the captions are closed or open. Closed captions can be switched off. Open or burned-in captions are part of the picture and cannot be.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Turn them off in the player or app

While the video is playing, open the playback controls. Many players show a CC icon, a speech-bubble icon, or a subtitles or audio and subtitles option. Select Off. This is the quickest fix, but it may apply only to that app or to the current title.

2. Turn them off on the TV

If captions appear on live TV or on every input, check the TV's own settings. Some remotes have a CC or subtitle button that cycles through caption modes. Press it until the on-screen label shows captions are off. If there is no such button, open the TV settings and look for a section called Accessibility, Captions, Subtitles or something similar. Menu names vary by manufacturer and software version, so check your model's manual if you cannot find it.

3. Check the cable box, streaming device or console

An external box connected over HDMI can show its own captions, separately from the TV. Use that device's remote and menu to switch them off. Streaming sticks and game consoles often have a system-wide caption setting, usually under accessibility. That setting can turn captions on in every app, even when an individual app has them off.

4. Computers, phones and video calls

Some operating systems have a live captions feature that captions any audio playing on the device. Turn it off in the system's accessibility settings. In video calls, live captions are usually switched on and off from the meeting controls. Turning them off on your screen may not stop transcription for other participants or in a recording. Check the host settings and the platform's documentation to see how transcripts are created and stored.

Note each setting you change so you can switch captions back on later, for example if someone else who uses the device relies on them.

Check the output

Play the same video again, then try a different program or app. If captions are gone in one place but not another, the setting that is still on belongs to the source that keeps showing them. Some changes take effect only after you reopen the video or the app.

Some text cannot be removed with caption settings. This includes burned-in subtitles, on-screen graphics, and forced subtitles that some apps show for foreign-language dialogue even when captions are off.

Common problems and next steps

• Captions come back after a restart: two layers may both be on, such as the TV and a streaming device, or the caption preference may be saved to your profile. Turn it off at each level.
• Captions appear only when you mute: some TVs and streaming devices can show captions automatically on mute. Look for that option in the caption settings.
• The CC button does nothing: it may control only the TV's built-in tuner, not an external box on an HDMI input. Use the external device's own remote or menu instead.
• Captions show in only one app: change the caption setting inside that app, or in that service's account settings.
• You cannot find the setting: check the manual or the manufacturer's support pages for your exact model and software version.
• Someone else needs captions: if the app supports profiles, give them their own profile so you can each keep your preferred setting.