Turn on captions in the Apple TV app or on your Apple TV device

Captions appear at the bottom of your screen during movies, shows, and other video content. On Apple TV, you can turn them on through your device settings or directly while watching. The method depends on whether you want captions on for everything you watch, or just for one show or movie right now.

If you want captions on permanently, adjust your accessibility settings once and they will stay on. If you want them only sometimes, you can toggle them during playback without changing your settings.

Key Takeaways

  • Captions can be turned on permanently in Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles and Captions on any Apple TV device.
  • While watching content, press the down arrow on your remote, select the speech bubble icon, and choose a caption language or style.
  • Apple TV offers closed captions (SDH), which include sound descriptions, and regular captions, which show dialogue only.
  • Caption settings sync across your Apple devices if you use the same Apple ID on all of them.

Turn captions on permanently in settings

Open Settings on your Apple TV device. Scroll down and select Accessibility. Then select Subtitles and Captions.

You will see options to turn on captions. Select On to display captions for all content that has them. If you want captions only when the audio is in a language you do not speak, select Auto On instead. This way, captions appear automatically when the show or movie is in a different language, but stay off for content in your primary language.

You can also choose a caption style in this menu. Apple TV offers several preset styles that change the size, color, and background of the text. Select Style and pick the one that works best for you.

Turn captions on while watching

Press the down arrow on your Apple TV remote while a show or movie is playing. A menu will appear at the bottom of the screen with several icons.

Look for the speech bubble icon (it looks like a chat bubble). Select it. A list of caption options will appear, including the languages available for that content. Choose the language or caption type you want. If captions are not available for that content, the speech bubble icon will be grayed out.

Once you select a caption language, it will stay on for the rest of that video. When you start a different show or movie, captions will follow whatever setting you chose in your permanent settings.

Understand caption types

Closed captions (SDH) include not only dialogue but also descriptions of sounds — things like "[door slams]" or "[phone ringing]". These are useful if you are deaf or hard of hearing, or if you want to catch details you might miss from audio alone.

Regular captions show only the spoken words. They do not include sound descriptions. The type available depends on what the content provider included when they uploaded the show or movie to Apple TV.

You cannot choose between these types on Apple TV itself — the content either has SDH available or it does not. If both are available, you will see both options in the menu when you press the speech bubble icon.

Captions on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

If you watch Apple TV content on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, captions work the same way. On iPhone and iPad, swipe up from the bottom of the screen while watching, then tap the speech bubble icon. On Mac, move your mouse to the bottom of the video player and click the speech bubble icon.

Your caption settings do not automatically sync between devices. If you turn captions on in Settings on your Apple TV, you will need to turn them on separately on your iPhone or iPad. However, if you use the same Apple ID across all your devices and have iCloud sync turned on, some accessibility preferences may carry over — check your individual device settings to confirm.

Troubleshoot when captions are not showing

If you turned captions on but they are not appearing, the content may not have captions available. Not all shows and movies on Apple TV include captions. Try a different title to see if captions work on other content.

If captions work on some content but not others, check whether the unavailable content is from a third-party app (like a streaming service channel) rather than Apple's own content. Some third-party apps have their own caption settings separate from Apple TV's main settings. Open the app itself and look for a settings or accessibility menu within that app.

If captions are still not working after trying these steps, restart your Apple TV device. Unplug it for 10 seconds, then plug it back in. Once it restarts, try playing a show with captions again.

Customize caption appearance

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles and Captions and select Style. Apple TV offers several built-in styles with different text sizes, colors, and background options. Choose the one that is easiest for you to read.

If none of the preset styles work for you, select Create New Style. You can adjust the text size, font, color, background color, and background opacity. Once you save your custom style, it will appear in your style list and you can switch to it anytime.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have captions on for some apps but not others?

No. Captions are a device-wide setting on Apple TV. If you turn them on in Accessibility settings, they will appear on all apps and content that support captions. If you want captions off for one app, you will need to turn them off in settings, watch without captions, then turn them back on afterward.

Why do some shows have captions but others do not?

Content providers decide whether to include captions when they upload shows and movies. Older content or smaller productions may not have captions available. Major studios and streaming services usually include them, but it is not required.

Do caption settings work the same way on all Apple TV models?

Yes. Whether you have an Apple TV 4K, Apple TV HD, or an older model, the steps to turn on captions are the same. The menu layout and remote buttons are identical across current Apple TV devices.

Can I change the caption language if multiple languages are available?

Yes. When you press the speech bubble icon during playback, you will see all available caption languages listed. Select the one you want. If a show has captions in English, Spanish, and French, you can choose any of them.