Turning on closed captions in the Apple TV app
Closed captions appear on your screen during playback and show dialogue, sound effects, and music cues as text. On Apple TV, you turn them on through the playback controls — either before a show starts or while it is playing. The steps are the same whether you are using an Apple TV box, an iPhone, iPad, or a Mac.
Start playing the content you want to watch. While the video is playing, press the menu button on your remote (or swipe down on your phone or trackpad). A menu bar will appear at the bottom of the screen. Look for the speech bubble icon — that is the closed captions button. Tap or click it, then select the language or caption style you want. If you see "Off" listed, that means captions are currently disabled.
Once you select a caption language, captions will stay on for that show or movie. When you start a different title, you may need to turn captions back on, depending on your settings. If you want captions to turn on automatically every time you watch, you can set that in your device settings instead of doing it for each video.
Key Takeaways
- Press the menu button during playback, tap the speech bubble icon, and choose your caption language from the list that appears.
- Captions turn off when you finish watching unless you set them to turn on by default in your device settings.
- Apple TV offers captions in multiple languages when the content supports them — the available options depend on what the show or movie includes.
- On an Apple TV box, use your remote; on iPhone, iPad, or Mac, swipe or click to bring up the playback menu.
Setting captions to turn on automatically
If you watch with captions most of the time, you can set them to turn on by default so you do not have to enable them for every show. This setting lives in your device preferences, not in the Apple TV app itself.
On an Apple TV box, go to Settings, then Accessibility, then Captions. Toggle on "Closed Captions + SDH" or "Closed Captions" depending on which type you prefer. SDH stands for "Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing" and includes more sound descriptions. On iPhone or iPad, open Settings, go to Accessibility, then Captions, and toggle on the caption type you want. On Mac, open System Preferences, click Accessibility, select Captions, and check the box for your preferred caption style.
Once you set this, captions will appear automatically the next time you play any content that has them. You can still turn them off mid-show using the playback menu if you need to, and the default setting will remain in place for your next video.
Choosing between caption styles
Apple TV offers two main caption formats: standard closed captions and SDH (Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing). Standard closed captions show dialogue only. SDH includes dialogue plus descriptions of sounds — like "[door slams]" or "[music playing]" — which is useful if you cannot hear the audio.
When you tap the speech bubble icon during playback, you will see which caption options are available for that specific show or movie. Not all content offers both types. If only one option appears, that is the only format the studio provided for that title. You can also see captions in different languages if the content has been dubbed or if multiple language tracks are available.
Your choice between standard captions and SDH is a personal preference. Some people find SDH more helpful because it describes background sounds; others prefer standard captions because they are less cluttered. You can switch between them at any time during playback.
Troubleshooting when captions do not appear
If you turn on captions but they do not show up, the most common reason is that the content does not include captions in that language. Movies and shows vary widely in what caption tracks they offer. A show might have English captions but not Spanish, or vice versa. Check the playback menu again to see what languages are actually listed — if your language is not there, captions are not available for that title.
If captions are listed but still not showing, restart the app. Close Apple TV completely and reopen it, then start the video again and turn captions on. If the problem continues, restart your device. On an Apple TV box, hold the menu button on your remote for about six seconds until the light blinks. On iPhone or iPad, swipe up from the bottom and close the app, then reopen it.
Another reason captions might not appear is if your device is set to a caption style that the content does not support. Try switching to standard closed captions instead of SDH, or vice versa. If you still see nothing, the title genuinely may not have captions available — this is especially common with older films or independent productions.
Adjusting caption size and appearance
You can make captions larger or change their appearance through your device settings. On an Apple TV box, go to Settings, then Accessibility, then Captions. You will see options to change the text size, background color, and font style. On iPhone or iPad, open Settings, go to Accessibility, then Captions, and adjust the style options there. On Mac, the same settings are in System Preferences under Accessibility and Captions.
These adjustments explore to captions across all apps on your device, not just Apple TV. If you make captions larger in your device settings, they will be larger in Apple TV, in other streaming apps, and anywhere else captions appear. You can experiment with different combinations — for example, a larger font with a dark background often makes captions easier to read.
Captions on different Apple TV devices
The steps to turn on captions are nearly identical across all Apple TV devices, but the way you access the menu changes slightly depending on what you are using. On an Apple TV box connected to your television, you use the physical remote. On an iPhone or iPad running the Apple TV app, you swipe down from the top of the screen or tap the screen during playback. On a Mac, you click the video window or use your trackpad to bring up the playback controls.
Regardless of which device you use, the speech bubble icon is always the captions button, and the process is the same: play the video, bring up the menu, tap the speech bubble, and choose your language. If you switch between devices — watching on your TV one day and your phone the next — your caption preference does not carry over automatically, so you will need to turn captions on each time unless you have set them to turn on by default in that device's settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do some shows have captions and others do not?
Content creators and studios decide whether to include captions when they produce or license a title. Older films, independent productions, and some live events often lack captions because they were made before captions were standard or because the studio did not invest in adding them later. Newer releases and major studio productions almost always include at least English captions.
Can I change the color of the caption text?
Yes, through your device settings. On Apple TV, go to Settings > Accessibility > Captions and look for style options. You can usually change the text color, background color, and font. These changes explore to all captions on that device, not just in the Apple TV app.
Do captions work on live TV through Apple TV?
If the live broadcast includes captions, they will appear when you turn them on through the playback menu, just like recorded content. However, not all live channels provide captions. Sports broadcasts and news channels typically do; smaller or independent channels may not.
What is the difference between captions and subtitles?
Captions show dialogue and sound descriptions for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Subtitles show only dialogue and are usually for people watching in a language they do not speak. Apple TV uses the term "captions" for both, but SDH specifically includes sound descriptions.
If I turn on captions for one show, will they stay on for everything?
Not unless you set them to turn on by default in your device settings. If you turn on captions through the playback menu for one show, they will stay on while you watch that title, but they will turn off when you finish. You will need to turn them back on for the next show, or set them to turn on automatically through Accessibility settings.