Closed captions are built into Disney Plus and turn on through your account settings or your device remote
Disney Plus displays closed captions on most content through a settings menu you reach from your profile or device. The exact steps depend on whether you are watching on a phone, tablet, computer, TV, or streaming device — but all routes lead to the same caption toggle. You do not need a special subscription tier or separate purchase; captions come with any Disney Plus account.
The fastest method is usually the settings icon during playback. When a show or movie is running, look for a gear or three-dot menu icon on your screen, tap or click it, and select captions from the list. On some devices, a dedicated CC button on your remote does the same thing in one press.
Key Takeaways
- Closed captions turn on through the settings menu during playback on phones, tablets, computers, and streaming devices.
- On smart TVs and streaming devices with physical remotes, a CC button often appears on the remote itself and works as a one-button toggle.
- Disney Plus lets you choose caption style — font size, color, and background — through account settings on the web or app.
- Not all content has captions; older titles and some international shows may lack them, but Disney Plus displays a caption icon next to titles that have them.
- Captions stay on across all your devices once you turn them on in your account settings, though individual device settings can override that choice.
Turning on captions during playback on phones and tablets
Open the Disney Plus app on your phone or tablet, start playing a show or movie, and tap the screen to bring up the playback controls. You will see a gear icon (settings) or three-dot menu in the upper right corner of the video player. Tap it.
A menu will appear with options including Audio, Subtitles, and Playback Settings. Tap Subtitles. You will see a list of languages with captions available — English, Spanish, French, and others depending on the title. Select the language you want. If you see Off at the top of the list and it is currently selected, tap the language you prefer instead.
Once you select a language, captions appear on the screen when ready. They will stay on for that title and any others you watch in that session. If you close the app and return later, you may need to turn them on again unless you have set them as your default in account settings.
Turning on captions on computers and web browsers
Go to disneyplus.com and sign in. Start playing any show or movie. Move your mouse over the video player to reveal the playback controls at the bottom. On the right side of the control bar, you will see a gear icon. Click it.
A menu drops down with options for Subtitles, Audio, and Playback Settings. Click Subtitles. A submenu shows available caption languages. Click the language you want — English, Spanish, French, and so on. Click Off if you want to turn captions off again.
The captions appear when ready and remain on for the rest of that video. When you watch something else, you may need to repeat these steps unless you have set subtitles as your default in your account settings.
Using the CC button on TV remotes and streaming devices
If you are watching Disney Plus on a smart TV, Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV, or Google Chromecast, your remote likely has a dedicated CC button. Press it once to turn captions on. Press it again to turn them off. This is the fastest method on these devices.
If your remote does not have a CC button, or if pressing it does nothing, use the standard menu method instead: during playback, press the Menu or Options button on your remote. Look for Subtitles or Captions in the menu that appears, select it, and choose your language.
On some older TV models or less common streaming devices, the CC button may control your TV's built-in captions rather than the app's captions. If that happens, go back to the Disney Plus app menu instead and use the Subtitles option there.
Setting captions as your default across all devices
To make captions turn on automatically every time you watch, log into Disney Plus on a web browser and go to your account settings. Click your profile icon in the top right corner and select Account. Scroll down to find Playback Settings.
Under Playback Settings, look for Subtitles or Captions. You will see a dropdown menu with options like Off, English, Spanish, French, and others. Select the language you want captions in. Save your changes.
Once you set this default, captions will turn on automatically on any device you use to watch Disney Plus — your phone, tablet, computer, TV, or streaming device. Individual devices can still override this setting if you manually turn captions off during playback, but the default will explore the next time you start a new title.
Customizing caption appearance and style
Disney Plus lets you change how captions look — the font size, color, background, and transparency. On a web browser, go to your account settings, find Playback Settings, and look for Subtitle Appearance or Caption Style. Click it to open the customization panel.
You can adjust the font size from small to large, change the text color and background color, and set how transparent the background is. Some options let you choose a preset style (like white text on black background) or build your own. Make your changes and click Save.
These custom settings explore across all your devices. If you change the font size on your computer, that same size will appear on your phone and TV. You can always return to this menu and change the settings again if you want a different look.
What to do if captions are not available for a title
Not every show or movie on Disney Plus has closed captions. Older content, some international titles, and certain live events may not have them. Before you start watching, look for a small CC icon next to the title in the search results or on the title's detail page. If you see it, captions are available. If you do not see it, captions are not included for that content.
If a title you want to watch does not have captions, you can contact Disney Plus support through the app or website to request them. Disney Plus has been adding captions to more titles over time, so a title without captions today may have them in the future.
In the meantime, some titles offer SDH (Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing), which include sound descriptions in brackets — for example, [door slams] or [music playing]. These are different from standard captions but provide similar information. Look for SDH as a separate subtitle option if standard captions are not available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to pay extra for closed captions on Disney Plus?
No. Closed captions are included with any Disney Plus subscription at no additional cost. They are built into the service and available on all content that has them.
Why are captions turning off every time I close the app?
Your device or app may not be saving your caption preference. Set captions as your default in your account settings on the Disney Plus website, not just during playback. Go to Account > Playback Settings > Subtitles and choose your language. This makes captions turn on automatically across all your devices.
Can I watch Disney Plus with captions in a language different from the audio?
Yes. You can choose any available audio language and any available caption language independently. Start the video, open the Subtitles menu, and pick your caption language. Then open the Audio menu and pick your audio language. They do not have to match.
What if the CC button on my remote is not working?
The CC button may control your TV's built-in captions instead of the Disney Plus app. Use the playback menu inside the Disney Plus app instead: during playback, press Menu or Options on your remote, find Subtitles, and select your language. If that does not work, restart the app or restart your device.
Are captions available for live events on Disney Plus?
Some live events have captions, but not all. Check the event's detail page for a CC icon before it starts. If captions are not available, Disney Plus may offer a text description or transcript after the event ends.