Turn off closed captioning in three steps

To disable closed captioning on your Fire Stick, go to Settings from the home screen, select Accessibility, then choose Captions and toggle it off. The captions will stop appearing on all apps and content when ready. If you want to turn them back on later, you follow the same path and toggle the setting back to on.

The exact wording of menu items can shift slightly between Fire Stick models and software versions, but the path through Settings → Accessibility → Captions remains consistent across all current Fire Stick devices, including the Fire Stick 4K, Fire Stick HD, and Fire Stick Lite.

Key Takeaways

  • Closed captioning is controlled through Settings > Accessibility > Captions, and toggling it off disables captions across all apps at once.
  • Some apps like Netflix and Prime Video have their own caption controls within the app, which override the system-wide setting.
  • If captions are still appearing after you turn off the system setting, check the individual app's playback settings.
  • Turning off captions in Accessibility does not affect other accessibility features like audio descriptions or voice guides.

Where to find the Accessibility menu

From your Fire Stick home screen, move to the top of the menu and select Settings. This opens a submenu with several options. Look for Accessibility in that list — it usually appears near the bottom, below options like Display and Sound.

Once you open Accessibility, you will see several features listed: Captions, Audio Descriptions, Voice Guidance, and others depending on your Fire Stick model. Captions is typically the first or second option in this menu.

What happens when you toggle captions off

When you turn off the system-wide caption setting, closed captioning stops appearing on streaming apps, live TV, and any other content that uses the Fire Stick's built-in caption system. This includes Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube, and most other apps.

However, some apps manage their own caption settings separately from the system setting. If you turn off captions in Accessibility but they still appear in a specific app, that app has its own caption control turned on. You will need to go into that app's settings or playback menu to turn captions off there as well.

Apps with their own caption controls

Netflix has a separate caption setting in its account preferences. To turn off captions there, open Netflix, go to your account menu, select Settings, then Subtitle appearance, and choose Off. This setting applies to Netflix across all devices you use, not just your Fire Stick.

Prime Video lets you control captions during playback. When a video is playing, press the menu button on your remote (three horizontal lines), select Subtitles and Audio, and choose Off. You can also set a default in Prime Video's app settings, though the playback menu gives you more control per video.

YouTube shows a captions icon (usually marked "CC") on the video player itself. Tap or click that icon to toggle captions on and off for that video. YouTube does not have a system-wide caption setting within the app.

Turning captions back on if you change your mind

Go back to Settings > Accessibility > Captions and toggle the setting to on. The captions will reappear the next time you play content that includes them. If a particular app still does not show captions, that app may require captions to be turned on in its own settings as well.

You can also use voice commands if your Fire Stick remote has a microphone. Press the microphone button and say "turn on captions" or "turn off captions," and the system will toggle the setting without you navigating the menu. Not all Fire Stick remotes have this feature — the basic Fire Stick remote does not, but the Fire TV Stick 4K remote and newer models do.

Why captions might still appear after you turn them off

The most common reason is that the app you are using has its own caption setting that overrides the system setting. Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and Hulu all manage captions independently. Turning off captions in Accessibility does not automatically turn them off in these apps.

Another possibility is that you toggled the wrong setting. Make sure you are in Accessibility and not in a different menu. Some Fire Stick users confuse the Captions setting with Audio Descriptions, which is a separate feature that reads descriptions of what is happening on screen.

If captions are still appearing and you have checked both the system setting and the app setting, try restarting the app or restarting your Fire Stick entirely. Occasionally a setting does not register until the app or device refreshes.

Other accessibility features you might want to know about

While you are in the Accessibility menu, you will see other options. Audio Descriptions narrates what is happening on screen for people who are blind or have low vision — this is separate from captions and does not turn off when you disable captions. Voice Guidance reads menu items aloud as you navigate, which helps if you have vision loss.

You can turn any of these on or off independently. Disabling captions does not affect audio descriptions, voice guidance, or any other accessibility feature. Each one is its own toggle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to turn off captions in every app separately?

No. Turning off captions in Settings > Accessibility > Captions disables them system-wide for most apps. However, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and Hulu have their own caption controls that work independently, so if you use those apps frequently, you may want to turn captions off in their settings as well to be sure.

Will turning off captions affect subtitles for foreign language content?

Yes. Closed captions and subtitles are controlled by the same setting on Fire Stick. If you turn off captions, you will not see subtitles for content in other languages either. If you need subtitles for foreign language content, you will need to keep captions turned on or turn them on in the individual app.

Can I turn captions on for only certain apps?

The system-wide setting in Accessibility applies to all apps at once. However, you can turn off the system setting and then turn captions on only in the apps where you want them. This requires managing captions in each app individually, but it is possible.

What if my Fire Stick remote does not have a microphone?

You will need to navigate through the menu manually using the directional buttons and select button on your remote. The path is always Settings > Accessibility > Captions. If you use this setting frequently, consider upgrading to a Fire TV remote with a microphone, which lets you toggle captions by voice.

Does turning off captions use less battery on my remote?

No. The caption setting does not affect your remote's battery life. It only changes what appears on your TV screen. Battery drain on Fire Stick remotes comes from how often you use the buttons and microphone, not from what content features are enabled.