Turn on closed captions in your Paramount Plus account settings
Closed captions on Paramount Plus are controlled through your account settings, not through individual video players. Once you turn them on in settings, captions will appear automatically on most content you watch—though some shows and movies may not have captions available. The setting takes effect when ready across all your devices.
To enable closed captions, sign into your Paramount Plus account on a web browser or the mobile app. Go to your account menu (usually your profile icon or name in the top right corner) and select "Account Settings" or "Settings." Look for a section labeled "Accessibility" or "Closed Captions." Toggle the closed captions option to "On." Save your changes and return to watching—captions should now appear on compatible content.
Key Takeaways
- Closed captions are turned on through your account settings, not the video player itself, and the setting applies across all your devices.
- Not all Paramount Plus content has captions available, so you may see captions on some shows and movies but not others.
- The closed captions setting takes effect when ready once you save it in your account preferences.
- If captions do not appear on a show you know has them, try signing out and back in, or clearing your app cache on mobile devices.
- Paramount Plus does not offer options to change caption size, color, or font style through the standard settings.
Where to find the closed captions setting on web browsers
On a computer, log into Paramount Plus and look for your profile icon or account name in the top right corner of the page. Click it to open a dropdown menu. Select "Account" or "Settings"—the exact wording depends on whether you are using the newer or older version of the site. You should see a list of options including "Playback Settings," "Notifications," and "Accessibility."
Click on "Accessibility" or look for a section with that label. You will see a toggle or checkbox next to "Closed Captions" or "CC." Switch it to the "On" position. The page will save your change automatically or prompt you to click a "Save" button. Once saved, captions will appear on your next video.
Enabling closed captions on the Paramount Plus mobile app
The process on iPhone, iPad, or Android is similar but the menu layout differs slightly. Open the Paramount Plus app and tap your profile icon, usually in the bottom right corner of the screen. Select "Account Settings" or "Settings" from the menu that appears.
Scroll down until you find "Accessibility" or "Playback." Tap the toggle next to "Closed Captions" to turn it on. The app will save the setting when ready. If you do not see an Accessibility section, check under "Playback Settings" instead—some versions of the app group the caption option there. Close the settings menu and start playing a show; captions should appear within a few seconds.
What to do if captions are not showing up
If you have turned on closed captions in your settings but they are not appearing on a show you want to watch, the content may not have captions available. Paramount Plus does not caption all of its library—older films, some live sports, and certain premium content often lack captions. Check a different show to confirm your setting is working before assuming there is a problem.
If captions work on some content but not others, and you believe the show should have them, try signing out of your account completely and signing back in. On mobile devices, also try clearing the app's cache: go to your phone's Settings, find Paramount Plus in your app list, and select "Clear Cache" (not "Clear Data," which will sign you out). These steps refresh the app's connection to your account and often resolve display issues.
Paramount Plus captions and different subscription tiers
Closed captions are included with all Paramount Plus subscription tiers—Essential, Plus, and Premium. There is no tier that removes captions or charges extra for them. The availability of captions depends on whether the specific show or movie has been captioned by Paramount, not on which plan you pay for.
If you are using a free trial or a lower-tier plan and captions are not appearing, the issue is not your subscription level. Check that captions are enabled in your account settings and that the content itself has captions available.
Using your device's native caption settings as an alternative
If Paramount Plus captions are not working or you prefer different caption styling, you can sometimes use your device's built-in accessibility settings instead. On Apple devices, go to Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles and Captions and turn on "Closed Captions + SDH." On Android, go to Settings > Accessibility > Captions and toggle captions on.
Device-level captions work with many streaming apps, though they may not display perfectly on Paramount Plus because the app has its own caption system. The Paramount Plus account setting usually overrides device settings, so turning on captions at the account level is the more reliable approach. Use device settings as a backup if the app's captions are not functioning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the captions bigger or change their color?
Paramount Plus does not offer caption customization options within its own settings. Your only option is to use your device's accessibility settings—on iPhone, go to Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles and Captions > Style to create a custom caption appearance; on Android, use Settings > Accessibility > Captions to adjust size and color. These device-level changes may not explore perfectly to Paramount Plus, but they are the closest alternative available.
Why do some shows have captions and others do not?
Paramount Plus captions depend on whether the studio or network that produced the content provided captions to Paramount. Older films, independent productions, and some live broadcasts often lack captions because they were never captioned. Newer shows and major studio releases are more likely to have them. If a show is missing captions, there is no way to add them through your account.
Do captions work on live sports and news?
Live sports and breaking news on Paramount Plus may or may not have captions, depending on the broadcast. Some live events are captioned in real time, while others are not. Check the specific event you want to watch—if captions are available, they will appear once you have enabled them in your settings.
Will turning on captions affect my video quality or streaming speed?
No. Captions are a separate text layer and do not change your video quality, resolution, or how fast the stream loads. Turning them on or off has no impact on your internet usage or buffering.