Turn on closed captions in your Paramount Plus account settings
Closed captions on Paramount Plus are controlled through your account settings, not through individual videos. Once you turn them on, they will appear by default on all content you watch—though you can still turn them off for a single show if you want to.
The steps differ slightly depending on whether you are watching on a web browser, phone, tablet, or smart TV. The easiest route is through a web browser on a computer, where the settings are most visible. If you are using the Paramount Plus app on a phone or tablet, the process is faster but the menu is smaller.
Key Takeaways
- Closed captions are turned on through your account settings, not through the video player itself.
- On a web browser, go to your profile menu, select Settings, then find Captions and turn them on.
- On the Paramount Plus app for phone or tablet, the captions toggle is in the same Settings menu under your profile.
- Once captions are on in your account, they will appear on all shows and movies unless you manually turn them off for that specific video.
- If captions do not appear even after you turn them on, the show or movie may not have captions available in your region.
How to enable captions on a web browser
Open Paramount Plus in your web browser and sign into your account. In the top right corner, you will see your profile icon or name. Click on it to open a dropdown menu.
From that menu, select Settings. You will see several options on the left side of the screen. Look for Captions and click on it. A toggle switch will appear next to "Captions." Click the toggle to turn captions on. The switch will turn blue or change color to show it is active. Close the settings page and return to watching—captions will now appear on your next video.
How to enable captions on the Paramount Plus app
Open the Paramount Plus app on your phone or tablet. At the bottom of the screen, you will see a menu with several icons. Tap the profile icon, which usually appears as a person's silhouette or your account picture in the bottom right corner.
Tap Settings from the menu that appears. Scroll down until you see Captions. Tap the toggle next to it to turn captions on. The toggle will change color to show it is active. Exit settings and start playing a show or movie—captions will appear automatically.
How to turn captions on or off for a single video
Even if captions are turned on in your account settings, you can turn them off for one specific show or movie without changing your overall settings. Start playing the video. Look for the captions icon in the video player—it usually looks like a speech bubble or the letters "CC" in a box.
Click or tap that icon to toggle captions on or off for just that video. Your account settings will remain unchanged, so captions will still appear on the next show you watch. This is useful if you are watching something with burned-in captions (captions that are part of the video itself) or if you straightforward do not want them for one episode.
What to do if captions are not appearing
If you have turned captions on but they still do not show up, the most common reason is that the show or movie does not have captions available. Not all content on Paramount Plus includes closed captions, and availability varies by region. Some older shows or exclusive content may not have captions yet.
Check a different show to see if captions appear there. If they do, the first show straightforward does not have captions available. If captions do not appear on any video, try signing out of your account and signing back in. Sometimes the app or browser needs to refresh your settings. If that does not work, try clearing your browser cache or uninstalling and reinstalling the app.
Captions versus subtitles on Paramount Plus
Closed captions include all dialogue plus sound effects and music cues written out—useful if you are deaf or hard of hearing, or if you are watching in a noisy environment. Subtitles show only the dialogue translated into another language. Paramount Plus uses the term "Captions" in its settings menu, and turning that on will give you closed captions in English by default.
If you want subtitles in a different language, that is a separate setting. While watching a video, look for the captions icon in the player and select it. You should see a list of available languages. Choose the language you want, and subtitles in that language will appear instead of English captions.
Troubleshooting captions on different devices
On smart TVs, the captions toggle is in the same Settings menu, but the navigation is slower because you are using a remote. Use the arrow keys to navigate to your profile, then Settings, then Captions. Some smart TV apps also have a captions button on the remote itself—check your remote's manual if the menu method is difficult.
On streaming devices like Roku, Fire Stick, or Apple TV, open Paramount Plus and go to Settings the same way. The layout may look slightly different depending on the device, but the Captions option will be in the same place. If captions still do not work after you turn them on, restart the device by unplugging it for 10 seconds and plugging it back in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to turn captions on every time I watch?
No. Once you turn captions on in your account settings, they will stay on for all future videos you watch. You only have to do it once. If you want to turn them off for a single video, you can do that without changing your account settings.
Can I change the size or color of the captions?
Paramount Plus does not offer caption customization within the app itself. However, your device may have accessibility settings that let you change caption appearance. On most phones and tablets, go to Settings > Accessibility and look for Caption or Subtitle options. On smart TVs, check the TV's own settings menu, not the Paramount Plus app.
Why do some shows not have captions?
Paramount Plus adds captions gradually as content is licensed or produced. Older shows, international content, and some exclusive releases may not have captions yet. If a show you want to watch lacks captions, check back in a few weeks—Paramount Plus regularly updates its caption library.
Will captions work on all my devices if I turn them on once?
Yes. Your account settings sync across all devices where you are signed in. Turn captions on once, and they will appear on your phone, tablet, computer, and smart TV automatically. If you turn them off on one device, they will be off on all devices.
Can I use captions in languages other than English?
The Captions toggle in Settings turns on English captions. To watch in another language, start playing a video and tap the captions icon in the player itself. You will see a list of available languages for that specific show or movie. Language availability varies by content.