Turn on captions in your Paramount Plus account settings
Closed captions on Paramount Plus are controlled through your account settings, not through individual show or movie pages. You go to your profile menu, find the accessibility section, and toggle captions on. Once you do this, captions will appear automatically on any content that has them available — which is most shows and movies on the platform.
The exact steps depend on what device you're using. Paramount Plus works on phones, tablets, computers, smart TVs, and streaming devices like Roku and Apple TV, and the menu locations are slightly different on each one. The good news is that your caption preference syncs across all your devices once you set it, so you only have to turn it on once.
Key Takeaways
- Captions are turned on through your account settings under accessibility, not through individual show pages.
- Once you enable captions in your account, they appear automatically on all content that offers them.
- Your caption setting syncs across all devices linked to your Paramount Plus account.
- Most Paramount Plus content includes captions, but some older or licensed content may not have them available.
- You can also turn captions on or off for a single viewing session using your device's remote or player controls.
How to enable captions on a web browser or computer
Open Paramount Plus in your web browser and log in to your account. Click on your profile icon or avatar in the top right corner of the screen. From the dropdown menu, select "Account" or "Settings" — the exact wording varies depending on whether you're on the Paramount Plus website or the app.
Once you're in your account settings, look for a section labeled "Accessibility," "Playback," or "Display." Click into that section and find the toggle or checkbox for "Captions" or "Closed Captions." Turn it on. You should see a confirmation message. After that, captions will appear on any show or movie you watch that has them.
How to enable captions on a phone or tablet app
Open the Paramount Plus app on your phone or tablet and tap the profile icon at the bottom right of the screen. Tap "Settings" or "Account Settings." Scroll down to find "Accessibility" or "Playback Settings."
Tap the toggle next to "Captions" or "Closed Captions" to turn it on. The toggle will change color or show a checkmark to confirm it's active. Close the settings menu and start watching — captions should now appear on your next show or movie.
How to enable captions on a smart TV or streaming device
On a smart TV or streaming device like Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, or Chromecast, open the Paramount Plus app and navigate to your profile using your remote. The profile icon is usually in the top left or top right corner of the home screen.
Select "Settings" or "Account Settings" from the menu. Use your remote to navigate to "Accessibility" or "Playback." Find the captions option and select it to turn captions on. The remote controls vary by device, but you're typically using arrow buttons to navigate and a center button to select. Once captions are enabled, exit the settings menu and start a show to see them appear.
Turn captions on or off for a single viewing without changing your account settings
If you have captions turned off in your account but want them for just one show, or vice versa, you can toggle them on the fly. While a show or movie is playing, look for a settings icon — usually three dots, a gear, or a CC symbol — on the player controls.
On a computer or phone, this icon appears when you hover your mouse over the video or tap the screen. On a TV remote, you may need to press a button labeled "Options," "Menu," or "Settings" while the video is playing. Select the captions option from the menu that appears. This temporary change only affects that single viewing session and won't change your account-wide setting.
What to do if captions aren't showing up
If you've turned on captions in your settings but they're not appearing, first check that the specific show or movie actually has captions available. Not all content on Paramount Plus includes captions — older licensed shows, some international content, and certain live events may not have them. Try starting a different show to see if captions appear there.
If captions work on some content but not others, the missing-caption content straightforward doesn't have them. If captions don't appear on anything, try signing out of your Paramount Plus account completely and signing back in. This refreshes your settings and often fixes display problems. If you're on a smart TV or streaming device, try restarting the app or restarting the device itself. On a computer or phone, close the app completely and reopen it.
Caption style and customization options
Paramount Plus offers basic caption display, but the amount of customization available depends on your device. On a computer or phone, you may be able to adjust the text size, background color, or font through your device's accessibility settings rather than through Paramount Plus itself. On a smart TV, check your TV's built-in accessibility menu for caption styling options.
The Paramount Plus app itself does not offer in-app caption customization like some other streaming services do. If you need larger text, higher contrast, or different colors, adjust these through your device's system settings. For example, on an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles & Captioning to customize how captions look across all apps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pay extra for closed captions on Paramount Plus?
No. Closed captions are included with all Paramount Plus subscription tiers at no additional cost. You straightforward turn them on in your account settings.
Will captions work on live TV or sports on Paramount Plus?
Most live content on Paramount Plus includes captions, but not all. Sports broadcasts and some live events may have captions, while others may not. Try turning on captions and watching a live program to see if they appear.
Can I use captions in languages other than English?
Paramount Plus captions are available in the language of the content you're watching. If a show is in Spanish, captions will be in Spanish. English-language content has English captions. The platform does not offer caption translation to a different language than the show itself.
If I turn on captions, will they appear on every device I use?
Yes. Your caption setting syncs across all devices linked to your Paramount Plus account. Once you enable captions in your account settings, they will appear on your phone, tablet, computer, and smart TV automatically.
What if captions are on but I can't read them because they're too small?
Adjust the text size through your device's accessibility settings, not through Paramount Plus. On a phone or tablet, go to your device's accessibility menu and look for subtitle or caption size options. On a computer, your browser may have zoom settings that enlarge captions along with the rest of the page.