The fastest way to disable captions
To turn off captions on Apple TV, press the Menu button on your remote while a show or movie is playing. Scroll down to Subtitles and Captions, then select Off. The captions disappear when ready and stay off for that title unless you turn them back on.
If you want captions off by default for everything you watch, you can change the system-wide setting instead. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles and Captions, then toggle the setting to Off. New titles will play without captions unless the app itself has its own caption controls.
Some apps like Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video have their own caption menus that override the Apple TV setting. If captions stay on even after you turn them off in Apple TV settings, check the app's own menu while a video is playing — usually found in the top corner or by pressing Menu on the remote.
Key Takeaways
- Press Menu during playback, find Subtitles and Captions, and select Off to disable captions for one show or movie.
- Go to Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles and Captions and toggle Off to disable captions system-wide on your Apple TV.
- Streaming apps like Netflix and Disney+ have their own caption controls that may override Apple TV's system setting.
- The Menu button method works on all Apple TV models and takes effect when ready without restarting the app.
Turning off captions during playback
When you are already watching something, the quickest route is the playback menu. Press the Menu button (the one with three horizontal lines) on your Siri Remote. A menu bar appears at the bottom of the screen showing playback controls and options.
Look for Subtitles and Captions in that menu — it is usually one of the rightmost options. Select it, and you will see a list of caption choices: Off, English, Spanish, and any other languages the content offers. Tap Off and the captions vanish. You can turn them back on the same way if you change your mind mid-episode.
This method works for any app — Apple TV+, Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, or anything else. The captions stay off only for that specific title. If you start a different show, captions will return to whatever your default setting is.
Disabling captions in Apple TV settings
If you want captions off across your entire Apple TV by default, change the system setting. From the Apple TV home screen, go to Settings (usually in the top menu or accessible by swiping up). Select Accessibility, then scroll down to Subtitles and Captions.
You will see a toggle or on/off option. Select Off. From that point forward, any new content you play will start without captions unless the app has its own default setting that overrides this.
This setting affects the Apple TV system itself, not individual apps. Some streaming services store their own caption preference in your account, so if you have captions turned on in your Netflix settings, they may still appear even if Apple TV's system setting is off. Check the app's own settings if captions persist.
Why captions might stay on even after you turn them off
The most common reason is that the app you are using has its own caption setting separate from Apple TV's system setting. Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, and Hulu all remember your caption preference within their own apps. If you have captions enabled in your Netflix account, they will play by default on Apple TV even if the system setting is off.
To turn off captions in an individual app, open the app and start playing a video. Press Menu on your remote and look for a Subtitles, Captions, or Settings option — the exact label varies by app. Select it and choose Off or None. Some apps also let you change this in their account settings on the web.
Another possibility is that captions are burned into the video itself — meaning they are part of the image and cannot be turned off. This is rare on major streaming services but can happen with some free or independent content. If you see captions that do not disappear when you select Off, the video itself contains them.
Captions on different Apple TV models
The steps above work on Apple TV 4K (all generations) and Apple TV HD. The Menu button location and menu layout are the same across all current models. If you have an older Apple TV (2nd or 3rd generation), the process is similar but the menus look slightly different — go to Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles and Captions and toggle off.
If you are using an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to control your Apple TV through AirPlay, the caption controls are in the video player itself. Look for a speech bubble or "CC" icon in the playback controls and tap it to turn captions off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to turn off captions every time I watch something?
No. Once you turn off captions in Apple TV Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles and Captions, they stay off for all new content. If you turn them off only during playback using the Menu button, they turn back on for the next show unless you change the system setting.
Why are captions still on after I selected Off?
The app you are using likely has its own caption setting. Open the app, start a video, press Menu, and look for Subtitles or Captions in that app's menu. Turn it off there. You may also need to change the setting in the app's account settings on the web.
Can I turn off captions for one app but keep them on for another?
Yes. Each app has its own caption setting. Turn captions off in Netflix's menu, for example, and they stay off in Netflix. If you then open Disney+, captions will follow whatever setting you have in Disney+. The Apple TV system setting is a default that apps can override.
What if my remote does not have a Menu button?
All current Siri Remotes have a Menu button — it is the one with three horizontal lines at the top left. If you have an older remote without it, you can still access captions through Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles and Captions on the Apple TV home screen.
Do captions turn off automatically when I pause a video?
No. Captions stay on or off based on your setting, whether the video is playing or paused. Pausing does not change the caption state.