Closed captions are built into Disney Plus and turn on through your account settings or your device's accessibility menu

Disney Plus includes closed captions for most of its content — movies, shows, and originals. You can turn them on in two ways: through your Disney Plus account settings (which applies to all your devices) or through your specific device's player controls (which affects only what you're watching right now). The fastest route depends on whether you want captions on permanently or just for one viewing.

Captions are available in English and other languages depending on the title. Not every piece of content has captions — older films and some licensed shows may not — but Disney Plus displays a CC icon next to titles that do have them.

Key Takeaways

  • Turn on captions permanently by going to your account settings, selecting Accessibility, and toggling captions on — this applies to all devices you use.
  • Turn on captions for one viewing by clicking the speech bubble icon in the player controls while a show or movie is playing.
  • Not all content has captions; Disney Plus shows a CC icon next to titles that do.
  • Captions appear in the language of the audio track you're watching, though some titles offer captions in multiple languages.
  • If captions don't appear even though the title has them, restart the app or check that your device's accessibility settings aren't overriding Disney Plus.

Turn on captions in your Disney Plus account settings

This method turns captions on for every device you use to watch Disney Plus — phone, tablet, computer, or TV. Go to your account menu (usually your profile icon in the top right or top left corner), then select Account. Look for Accessibility or Subtitle and Audio depending on your device type.

Toggle Captions or Subtitles to the on position. Some devices let you choose the language of the captions here as well. Once you save, captions will appear on every title that has them, on every device where you're signed in.

If you share your Disney Plus account with others, this setting applies to your profile only — other profiles on the same account can have different caption settings.

Turn on captions while watching a show or movie

If you want captions for just one viewing, use the player controls. While a show or movie is playing, look for the speech bubble icon or CC icon in the bottom right of the player. Click or tap it to turn captions on or off.

On some devices (like smart TVs), you may need to click the settings or gear icon first to see the caption option. The exact location varies by device, but it's always in the player controls at the bottom of the screen.

This method overrides your account settings for that one viewing only. When you start a different title, the captions will return to whatever your account settings say.

What to do if captions aren't showing up

First, check that the title actually has captions. Before you start watching, look for a small CC icon next to the title name on the show or movie page. If there's no CC icon, that particular title doesn't have captions available.

If the CC icon is there but captions still won't appear, try closing the Disney Plus app completely and opening it again. Sometimes the app needs to refresh to load captions properly. If you're on a web browser, try a different browser or clear your browser cache.

On some devices, your device's own accessibility settings can override Disney Plus captions. Check your phone, tablet, or TV's accessibility menu to make sure captions aren't turned off at the device level. If your device has captions turned off globally, Disney Plus captions may not work even if you've turned them on in the app.

Captions in different languages

Most Disney Plus titles have captions in English if you're watching the English audio track. Many titles also offer captions in Spanish, French, German, and other languages — but only in the language of the audio track you're listening to.

For example, if a movie has both English and Spanish audio tracks, you can watch it in English with English captions, or in Spanish with Spanish captions. You cannot watch the English audio with Spanish captions on most titles.

To change the language of captions, go to your account settings and select the language you want, or use the audio and subtitle menu in the player while watching. The menu usually shows both audio and caption options together.

Captions on different devices

Disney Plus works on phones, tablets, computers, smart TVs, streaming devices (like Roku and Fire Stick), and gaming consoles. Captions work on all of them, but the steps to turn them on vary slightly.

On phones and tablets, the speech bubble icon is usually in the bottom right corner of the player. On computers and web browsers, it's in the same spot. On smart TVs and streaming devices, you may need to press a menu button or click a settings icon first. On gaming consoles, the caption controls are in the player menu.

Your account-level caption setting (turned on in your Disney Plus account settings) applies across all devices. If you turn captions on in your account settings, they'll be on by default on your phone, your TV, and your computer — though you can still turn them off for a single viewing using the player controls.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the size or style of the captions?

Disney Plus does not offer caption customization within the app itself. However, your device may have accessibility settings that let you change caption size, color, or font. Check your phone, tablet, or TV's accessibility menu. Some devices let you override app captions with your device's preferred caption style.

Why does a title show a CC icon but captions won't turn on?

Restart the Disney Plus app completely — close it and open it again. If that doesn't work, sign out of your account and sign back in. Occasionally a glitch prevents captions from loading even though they exist. If the problem persists, try a different device to see if captions work there.

Do captions work on all Disney Plus content?

Most Disney Plus originals, recent movies, and popular shows have captions. Older films and some licensed content may not. Disney Plus displays a CC icon next to titles that have captions, so you can see before you start watching.

Can I use captions if I'm watching with someone else on a shared account?

Yes. Each profile on a shared account has its own caption settings. If you turn captions on in your profile, they'll be on when you watch. If someone else on the account watches without captions, their profile won't show them. You can also turn captions on or off for a single viewing using the player controls, regardless of your profile settings.

What if my TV remote doesn't have a menu button to access captions?

Try pausing the video first, which usually brings up the player controls. Then look for the settings or CC icon. If your remote is very basic, turn captions on in your Disney Plus account settings instead — they'll appear automatically on that TV whenever you watch.