Turn on closed captions in Settings

Closed captions on Apple TV are controlled through the Accessibility settings on your device. The fastest way is to go to Settings on your Apple TV home screen, then select Accessibility, then Subtitles and Captions. From there, toggle Closed Captions + SDH to on. Once you turn this on, captions will appear automatically on any show or movie that includes them.

If you want captions to appear every time you use Apple TV, make sure the toggle is switched to the on position (it will show green). You can return to this same menu anytime to turn captions off again.

Key Takeaways

  • Closed captions are turned on through Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles and Captions, then toggling Closed Captions + SDH to on.
  • Once enabled, captions will show on any content that has them available, without needing to adjust settings for each show or movie.
  • You can customize the text size and appearance of captions in the same Subtitles and Captions menu if the default style is hard to read.
  • Some apps like Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube have their own caption controls that override Apple TV settings for that specific app.

Customize the look of your captions

After you turn captions on, you can change how they look. In the same Subtitles and Captions menu, select Style to pick from preset caption designs. You can also adjust the text size by selecting Text Size and choosing small, medium, large, or extra large.

If you want even more control, select Custom at the bottom of the Style menu. This lets you change the font, background color, text color, and transparency of the caption box. Experiment with these settings until the captions are straightforward for you to read on your TV screen.

Turn captions on using your remote

You can also enable captions without going into Settings. While watching a show or movie, press the Menu button on your Apple TV remote (the button with three horizontal lines). A menu will appear at the bottom of the screen.

Look for Subtitles and Captions in that menu and select it. Choose Closed Captions + SDH from the list. This turns captions on for that moment, but it does not change your permanent settings. If you want captions to stay on for everything you watch, use the Settings method described above instead.

When captions are not available

Not every show or movie on Apple TV includes closed captions. Older content, independent films, and some live events may not have captions recorded. If you turn captions on but they do not appear, it means that particular title does not have them.

You can check whether a show has captions before you start watching. On the show or movie details page, look for a CC icon. If you see it, captions are available. If there is no CC icon, captions were not created for that content.

Captions in apps within Apple TV

Apps like Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and YouTube have their own caption systems. Even if you turn on captions in Apple TV Settings, these apps may use their own controls instead. When you are watching inside one of these apps, look for a settings icon (usually in the top right or bottom right corner) and find the captions option there.

This means you might need to turn captions on separately for Netflix and separately for Disney+, even though both are accessed through your Apple TV. The good news is that once you set captions on in each app, they usually stay on the next time you use that app.

Troubleshooting captions that are not working

If you turned captions on but they still are not showing, first check that the content actually has captions available (look for the CC icon on the details page). Then restart the show or movie you are watching—sometimes captions do not load until you do.

If captions still do not appear, restart your Apple TV completely. Hold down the Menu button on your remote for about six seconds until the light on the device blinks. Wait a few seconds for it to turn back on, then try the show again. If you are using an app like Netflix, try signing out and signing back in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to turn captions on every time I watch something?

No. Once you turn on Closed Captions + SDH in Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles and Captions, they will stay on for all content that has them. You only need to do this once unless you decide to turn them off later.

Can I make the captions bigger or smaller?

Yes. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles and Captions, then select Text Size. You can choose from small, medium, large, or extra large. You can also select Custom to change the font, colors, and background of the caption box.

Why are captions not showing up on Netflix or Disney+?

Those apps have their own caption controls. While watching inside the app, look for a settings or gear icon and find the captions option there. Turning on captions in Apple TV Settings does not automatically turn them on inside third-party apps.

What does the CC icon mean on a show's details page?

The CC icon means that show or movie has closed captions available. If you do not see a CC icon, captions were not created for that content and will not appear even if you have captions turned on.

How do I turn captions off if I no longer want them?

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles and Captions and toggle Closed Captions + SDH to off. You can also press Menu while watching and select Subtitles and Captions > Off to turn them off for just that moment.