How to Turn On Closed Captions on Apple TV

Apple TV can show closed captions in several ways. You can set a system-wide preference, choose a track for one show, use a remote shortcut, or ask Siri. This guide covers each method and explains why captions sometimes don't appear even when they are turned on.

Before you start

Closed captions are not created by the Apple TV box itself. They come with the video from the app or streaming service. Apple TV shows a track only if the provider includes one, so availability can differ between apps, titles and regions. Your caption preferences are saved in the device settings. Some third-party apps use their own player and caption settings instead of the system ones.

• Have your Apple TV remote ready. Button names differ between Siri Remote generations.
• If captions don't appear later, check for a tvOS update. Menu names and locations have changed between versions.
• Pick a show or movie you know has captions so you can test the setting.

Step-by-step instructions

Turn on captions for all content

• Open Settings on the Apple TV Home Screen.
• Go to Accessibility, then Subtitles and Captioning. On older tvOS versions, Accessibility is under General.
• Turn on Closed Captions and SDH.
• To change the font, size or background of captions, open Style in the same menu.

With this setting on, Apple TV picks a closed caption or SDH (subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing) track whenever the content provides one. To undo it, turn the same option off.

Turn on captions for the current video only

• Start playing the video.
• Open the playback controls. On most Siri Remotes, you swipe down or press down on the touch surface or clickpad.
• Select the subtitles option, usually shown as a speech bubble icon.
• Choose a CC or SDH track, or a subtitle language. Choose Off to hide them again.

This choice usually applies only to what you are watching. Third-party apps may put the subtitle menu in a different place within their own player.

Use the Accessibility Shortcut or Siri

To set up a shortcut, open Settings, go to Accessibility, then Accessibility Shortcut, and select Closed Captions. After that, you can triple-press the Back button (the Menu button on older Siri Remotes) to switch captions on or off. On remotes with Siri, you can also hold the Siri button and ask Siri to turn closed captions or subtitles on or off. Siri's availability depends on your language and region.

Check the output

Play a title that has captions and open the subtitles option in the playback controls. If a CC or SDH entry is selected and text appears on screen, the setting is working. If the menu shows only Off, or only subtitle languages, the title probably has no closed caption track. In that case, no Apple TV setting can add one.

Subtitles usually show only dialogue. Closed captions and SDH also describe sounds and identify speakers. Your Style settings may not apply in apps that draw their own captions. In those apps, change the caption appearance in the app's own settings.

Common problems and next steps

• Captions don't appear in one app: look for a subtitle or caption option inside that app's player or settings. It may ignore the system preference.
• Captions appear in every video: turn off Closed Captions and SDH under Subtitles and Captioning. Also check that the Accessibility Shortcut wasn't triggered by accident.
• Your TV's caption setting does nothing: Apple TV draws captions itself, so use the Apple TV settings instead of the TV's own caption menu.
• The Accessibility Shortcut doesn't respond: make sure Closed Captions is selected under Accessibility Shortcut, then press the button three times quickly.
• The wrong language shows up: select the track you want from the subtitles option during playback.
• You use the Apple TV app on a smart TV, game console or computer: the steps above apply to the Apple TV box. On other devices, use that device's caption settings and the Apple TV app's player controls.