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 every show and movie you watch—though you can still turn them off for a single video if you want. The setting takes about 30 seconds to change and works across all devices where you log in.
Go to your Paramount Plus account menu (usually a profile icon in the top right corner), select Account, then find Accessibility in the settings list. Look for the option labeled Closed Captions or Subtitles and toggle it on. The exact wording and location varies slightly depending on whether you are on a phone, tablet, computer, or smart TV, but the principle is the same on all platforms.
Key Takeaways
- Closed captions are turned on through your account settings under Accessibility, not through the video player itself.
- Once enabled in your account, captions will appear on all content you watch across every device where you log in.
- You can still disable captions for a single video using the player controls, even if they are on by default in your account.
- Paramount Plus offers captions in English on most content, though availability varies by show or movie.
How to enable captions on different devices
On a computer or phone web browser: Log in to Paramount Plus, click your profile icon in the top right, select Account Settings, then Accessibility. Toggle Closed Captions to the on position. Refresh the page and play a video to confirm captions appear.
On the Paramount Plus mobile app: Open the app, tap the profile icon at the bottom right, tap Account, scroll down to Accessibility, and toggle Closed Captions on. The change takes effect when ready on new videos you start playing.
On a smart TV or streaming device: Open Paramount Plus, go to your account or settings menu (the exact path depends on your device), find Accessibility or Captions, and turn captions on. If you cannot find the setting, check whether your TV or device itself has a caption setting—some streaming devices control captions at the device level rather than the app level.
Turn captions on or off for a single video
Even if captions are enabled in your account settings, you can disable them for one video using the player controls. Start playing any show or movie, look for the CC button or a settings icon (usually a gear) in the video player, and click it to toggle captions off for that video only. When you start a different video, captions will return to your account default.
If you do not see a CC button in the player, try clicking the settings icon first—captions are sometimes nested under a menu rather than shown as a separate button. The exact layout depends on which device you are using.
What to do if captions are not appearing
If you have turned captions on in your account settings but they still do not show up, first try closing the app or browser completely and opening it again. Sometimes the setting does not take effect until you restart. Log back in and play a video to check.
If captions still do not appear, check whether the specific show or movie you are watching has captions available. Not all content on Paramount Plus includes captions—older shows, some movies, and certain live events may not have them. Try playing a different title to see if captions work on other content. If captions work on some videos but not others, the missing captions are a limitation of that particular video, not your account or device.
If captions do not work on any video, log out of your account completely, clear your browser cache or app data, and log back in. This clears out any corrupted settings that might be blocking captions. If the problem persists across multiple devices, contact Paramount Plus support through the help section in your account menu.
Captions and subtitles: what is the difference
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 usually show only dialogue translated into another language. Paramount Plus uses the term "Closed Captions" for the English-language version that includes sound descriptions, and "Subtitles" for translations into other languages.
When you turn on captions in your Paramount Plus accessibility settings, you are turning on closed captions in English. If you want subtitles in another language, that is usually a separate choice you make while a video is playing—look for a language or subtitle option in the player menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to turn on captions every time I watch something?
No. Once you turn on captions in your account settings, they stay on for all videos you watch on all your devices. You only have to change the setting once. If you want captions off for a single video, use the CC button in the player for that video only.
Will captions work on live TV or sports?
Captions are available on most live content on Paramount Plus, but not all. Sports events and some live broadcasts may not include captions. If you are watching a live event and captions do not appear, that content may not have them available.
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 caption settings at the system level—check your TV, phone, or computer accessibility settings for options to change caption size, color, or font. These device-level settings often override the app and give you more control.
What if captions are on but they are in the wrong language?
The closed captions setting in your account turns on English captions. If you see captions in another language, you may have accidentally selected subtitles in that language instead. While a video is playing, look for a subtitle or language menu in the player and switch back to English, or turn off subtitles entirely and rely on the closed captions setting.