How to Turn On Closed Captions on Disney Plus Using Roku

Enable Closed Captions in Disney Plus on Roku

To turn on closed captions while watching Disney Plus on a Roku device, open the show or movie you want to watch, then press the Options button (the star icon) on your Roku remote during playback. A menu will appear at the bottom of the screen. Select Captions, then choose your preferred caption style — usually "On" for the default captions, or a specific language if multiple options are shown. The captions will appear when ready on your screen.

The process is the same whether you are using a Roku TV, a Roku streaming stick, or a Roku box. The captions stay on for that viewing session only — if you stop the show and come back later, you will need to turn them on again unless you set a default caption preference in your Roku settings.

Key Takeaways

Press the Options button (star icon) on your Roku remote while a show or movie is playing to access the captions menu.
Select Captions from the menu that appears, then choose "On" or a specific language to enable closed captions.
Captions turn off when you stop watching — you must enable them again for your next viewing session.
Disney Plus offers captions in multiple languages on most titles, which you can select from the same Captions menu.

Where to Find the Options Button on Your Remote

The Options button is the button with a star icon on your Roku remote. On older Roku remotes, it may be labeled with an asterisk (*) instead. This button opens a context menu for whatever you are currently watching or doing on the screen.

If you are using a Roku TV with a standard TV remote (not a Roku-branded remote), look for a button labeled "Options," "Menu," or marked with three horizontal lines. Pressing this button during playback will bring up the same caption controls. If your remote does not have an obvious Options button, check the remote's instruction manual or the Roku support website for your specific model.

Choosing Between Caption Languages and Styles

When you select Captions from the menu, Disney Plus shows you all available caption options for that title. Most shows and movies offer English captions, and many offer Spanish, French, Portuguese, and other languages. Select the language you want, and the captions will display in that language.

Some titles on Disney Plus have more than one English caption track — for example, "English" and "English (Forced)" or "English (SDH)" for Deaf and hard of hearing viewers. SDH captions include descriptions of sounds and music, which can be helpful if you want more detail about what is happening off-screen. Choose whichever version works best for your needs.

Turning Off Captions When You No Longer Need Them

To turn off captions, press the Options button again during playback and select Captions, then choose Off. The captions will disappear from the screen when ready.

Remember that Disney Plus does not save your caption preference between viewing sessions. If you watch a show with captions on, stop watching, and then start a different show later, that new show will play without captions unless you turn them on again. This is different from some other streaming services that remember your last caption setting.

What to Do If the Captions Menu Does Not Appear

If pressing the Options button does not bring up a menu, make sure you are actively playing a show or movie — the captions menu only appears during playback, not on the menu screens or while paused. Try pressing the Options button again, or try pressing it a few seconds after the show starts playing.

If the menu still does not appear, restart the Disney Plus app by going to your Roku home screen, highlighting the Disney Plus app, pressing Options, and selecting "Remove channel." Then reinstall it from the Roku Channel Store. This usually fixes menu problems. If captions still do not work after reinstalling, check that your Roku device has the latest software update by going to Settings > System > System Update.

Roku Settings That Affect Captions

Your Roku device has its own caption settings that can override what Disney Plus shows. If you want captions to be on by default across all apps, go to your Roku home screen, select Settings, then Accessibility, then Captions. You can turn on "Preferred Captions" here, which tells apps like Disney Plus to show captions automatically.

However, this setting does not always work with every app or every title — Disney Plus may still require you to turn captions on manually using the Options button. The Roku-level setting is a preference, not a may provide. If you find that captions are not turning on the way you expect, check both the Roku settings and the Disney Plus menu to see which one is controlling the behavior.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do some Disney Plus titles not have captions available?

Not all titles on Disney Plus have captions yet. Older content and some international shows may not have been captioned. If a title has no captions, the Captions option in the menu will be grayed out or will show "Not available." Disney adds captions to more titles over time, so a title without captions now may have them later.

Can I make captions bigger or change their appearance?

Disney Plus does not offer caption customization within the app itself. Your options are limited to turning captions on or off and choosing the language. If you need larger or different-looking captions, check your Roku accessibility settings — some Roku devices allow you to adjust caption size and font at the system level, which may affect how captions appear in Disney Plus.

Do captions work on all Roku devices?

Captions work on all current Roku devices, including Roku TVs, Roku streaming sticks, and Roku boxes. Very old Roku devices (more than five years old) may have limited caption support, but Disney Plus itself requires a relatively recent Roku model to run, so this is rarely a problem in practice.

What if I have a Roku remote without a star button?

Some newer Roku remotes have a different layout. Look for a button with three horizontal lines, a button labeled "Menu," or a button marked with an asterisk (*). If none of these are visible, you can also use the Roku mobile app as a remote — read it on your phone, connect it to your Roku device, and use the app's menu to access captions while playing Disney Plus.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.