Enable Captions in Your Account Settings

Closed captions on Paramount Plus are turned on through your account settings, not through individual shows. Once you enable them, captions will appear automatically on most content unless you turn them off again. The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're watching on a web browser, phone, tablet, or streaming device.

On a web browser, sign into your Paramount Plus account and click your profile icon in the top right corner. Select Account, then look for Accessibility in the left menu. Toggle Closed Captions to the "on" position. The change takes effect when ready, and captions will display the next time you start playing a show or movie.

On a phone or tablet app, open Paramount Plus and tap the profile icon at the bottom right. Go to Settings, then Accessibility, and turn on Closed Captions. Save your changes and return to the app's main screen.

Key Takeaways

  • Closed captions are controlled through your account settings, not through the video player itself, so the setting applies to all your devices.
  • On web browsers, navigate to your profile icon, select Account, find Accessibility, and toggle Closed Captions on.
  • On mobile apps, go to Settings through your profile icon, select Accessibility, and turn on Closed Captions.
  • Some live events and premium sports content may not have captions available, even after you enable the setting.
  • Captions appear in English by default on most content, but some shows offer captions in other languages if available.

Turn Captions On or Off During Playback

Even if you've enabled captions in your account settings, you can still toggle them on and off while watching a specific show or movie. This is useful if you want captions for one episode but not another, or if you're watching with someone who prefers to watch without them.

During playback on any device, look for the CC button or a settings icon (usually three dots or a gear symbol) on the video player. Tap or click it to reveal caption options. You may see choices like "On," "Off," or specific language options if the content supports multiple caption tracks. Select your preference and the change applies only to that viewing session.

Adjust Caption Size and Style

Paramount Plus offers limited customization for how captions look on your screen. The exact options depend on your device, but most platforms allow you to change the text size or background opacity through your device's accessibility settings rather than through the Paramount Plus app itself.

On most phones and tablets, go to your device's main Settings app (not the Paramount Plus app), find Accessibility or Captions, and look for options to adjust font size, background color, or text style. These changes will affect captions across all apps on your device, including Paramount Plus. On web browsers, some caption styling can be controlled through your browser's accessibility settings or through Paramount Plus's player controls during playback.

What to Do If Captions Aren't Showing

If you've turned on captions in your account settings but they still don't appear, the content you're watching may not have captions available. Not all shows, movies, or live events on Paramount Plus include closed captions. Sports broadcasts, breaking news, and some older content are particularly likely to lack captions.

Try playing a different show or movie to see if captions appear there. If captions work on some content but not others, the issue is with that specific title's caption availability, not your settings. If captions don't appear on any content, sign out of your Paramount Plus account completely, close the app or browser, wait a few seconds, and sign back in. This refreshes your account settings and often resolves display problems.

If you're using an older streaming device or an outdated version of the Paramount Plus app, captions may not work properly. Check your device's app store to see if an update is available for Paramount Plus. Updating the app frequently fixes caption and other playback issues.

Captions on Different Devices

Paramount Plus works across phones, tablets, computers, and streaming devices like Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, and Google TV. Captions are available on all of these platforms, but the steps to enable them vary slightly.

On Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, and Google TV, open Paramount Plus and go to your profile or account settings within the app. Look for Accessibility or Captions and turn them on. The exact menu names differ by device, but the setting is always in your account or profile area, not in the video player itself. Once enabled, captions will appear on all content that supports them.

If you're casting Paramount Plus from your phone to a TV using Chromecast or AirPlay, captions will display on the TV screen if you've enabled them in your account settings. The captions follow the video to whatever screen you're watching on.

Languages and Multiple Caption Tracks

Most shows and movies on Paramount Plus include captions in English. Some content, particularly international shows or movies, may offer captions in multiple languages. When you tap the CC button during playback, you'll see all available caption options for that specific title.

If a show has both English captions and captions in another language, you can switch between them at any time during playback. The language you select applies only to that viewing session. The next time you watch a different show, you'll need to select the caption language again if you want something other than the default English.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to turn on captions every time I watch something?

No. Once you enable captions in your account settings, they stay on across all your devices and all content that supports them. You only need to adjust the setting once. If you want captions off for a specific show, you can toggle them during playback without changing your account settings.

Why don't captions appear on live sports or news?

Live events like sports games and breaking news broadcasts often don't have captions available, even on platforms that support captions for on-demand content. This is a limitation of the content itself, not your settings. Recorded sports shows and news segments may have captions if they were captioned when they aired.

Can I make captions bigger or change their color?

Paramount Plus offers limited caption customization within the app. For more control over caption appearance, adjust your device's accessibility settings. On phones and tablets, go to your device's Settings app and look for Captions or Accessibility options. These changes affect captions across all apps, not just Paramount Plus.

What if captions work on my phone but not on my TV?

Make sure you've enabled captions in your Paramount Plus account settings on the TV device itself. Account settings don't always sync across different device types. Sign into your Paramount Plus account on your TV, go to Settings or Account, find Accessibility, and turn on Closed Captions. If the problem continues, try updating the Paramount Plus app on your TV.

Are captions available in languages other than English?

Some content offers captions in multiple languages, but most titles default to English. When you start playing a show or movie, tap the CC button to see all available caption languages for that specific title. Not all content has multiple language options, so availability depends on what you're watching.