Turn off closed captioning in three steps

Closed captioning on Apple TV turns off through the Settings app on your device. Open Settings, go to Accessibility, select Subtitles and Captioning, then toggle off the captions. The setting applies to all apps unless you override it within a specific app.

If you want captions off for just one show or movie, you can also control them during playback using your remote without changing the system setting. This lets you keep captions on for other content while watching something without them.

Key Takeaways

  • System-wide caption control lives in Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles and Captioning, where you toggle the main switch off.
  • During playback, press the Menu button on your remote, select Subtitles and Captions, and choose Off to disable captions for just that video.
  • Some apps like Netflix and Disney+ have their own caption settings that override the Apple TV system setting.
  • Turning off captions in Settings does not affect the Hearing Impaired audio track, which is a separate audio option.

Disable captions system-wide through Settings

The permanent way to turn off closed captioning is through your Apple TV's main Settings. Press the Menu button on your remote to reach the home screen, then navigate to Settings (the gear icon). Scroll down and select Accessibility.

Inside Accessibility, find Subtitles and Captioning. You will see a toggle switch next to it. If the toggle is green or on, captions are enabled. Press Select to turn it off. The toggle will turn gray, and captions will stop appearing on all apps that use the system setting.

Turn off captions for a single show or movie

You do not have to change your system settings if you only want captions off for one viewing. While a video is playing, press the Menu button on your remote. A menu will appear at the bottom of the screen with several options.

Select Subtitles and Captions from that menu. A list of options will appear: usually On, Off, and sometimes Hearing Impaired. Choose Off. The captions will disappear when ready, and the setting will explore only to that video. When you watch something else, the system setting takes over again.

Why captions might stay on even after you turn them off

Some streaming apps manage their own caption settings and ignore the Apple TV system setting. Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max are common examples. If you turn off captions in Apple TV Settings but they still appear in one of these apps, the app itself has captions turned on.

To fix this, open the app, start playing a video, and look for a captions or subtitles button—usually a speech bubble or "CC" icon in the playback controls. Tap it and select Off. Each app remembers this choice for future videos, so you only have to do it once per app.

The difference between captions and Hearing Impaired audio

Closed captioning displays dialogue and sound descriptions as text on the screen. Hearing Impaired audio is a separate audio track that includes descriptive narration of what is happening on screen, designed for people who are blind or have low vision. Turning off captions does not affect the Hearing Impaired audio track.

If you turn off captions but still hear extra narration, you have the Hearing Impaired audio track selected instead. To change it, press Menu during playback, select Audio and Subtitles, then choose the standard audio track. This is separate from the caption setting.

Reset caption settings to defaults

If captions are behaving strangely—appearing in the wrong size, color, or position—you can reset the caption settings to Apple's defaults. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles and Captioning, then scroll to the bottom and select Reset. This clears any custom formatting you may have applied.

After a reset, captions will appear in the standard white text on a black background. Your on-or-off choice will remain the same; only the appearance resets. If you had captions off before the reset, they will still be off afterward.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will turning off captions in Settings affect all apps?

Most apps will respect the system setting, but Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max manage captions independently. If captions stay on in one of these apps after you turn them off in Settings, you need to disable captions within that app itself.

Can I turn off captions for just one app?

Yes. Open the app, start a video, and look for the captions button in the playback controls (usually a "CC" icon). Select it and choose Off. The app will remember this choice for all future videos in that app, even if captions are on in Apple TV Settings.

What if the captions button does not appear during playback?

Press Menu on your remote while the video is playing. A menu will appear at the bottom with options including Subtitles and Captions. If that option does not appear, the app or video does not support captions.

Do I need to restart Apple TV after turning off captions?

No. The change takes effect when ready. If captions are still appearing after you turn them off, check whether the app has its own caption setting that is overriding the system setting.

Can I customize how captions look before turning them off?

Yes. In Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles and Captioning, you can adjust text size, background color, font, and other appearance options before you toggle captions off. These settings explore to all apps that use the system caption style.