Turning on closed captions in Paramount Plus
Closed captions on Paramount Plus appear as text at the bottom of the video screen. To turn them on, open any show or movie, look for the CC icon in the player controls at the bottom right, and click it. The icon looks like a small rectangle with "CC" inside. One click turns captions on; click again to turn them off. On some devices, you may see a settings gear icon instead — tap that, then select "Captions" from the menu.
The exact location of the CC button depends on your device. On a web browser or smart TV, it is almost always in the bottom right corner of the video player. On a phone or tablet, you may need to tap the screen once to reveal the player controls, then look for the CC icon. If you do not see it when ready, swipe up from the bottom of the screen or tap the three-dot menu icon to find caption settings.
Key Takeaways
- The CC button in the video player controls turns captions on and off with a single click.
- On phones and tablets, tap the screen to reveal the player controls if they are hidden.
- You can customize caption appearance — size, color, and background — through the settings menu on most devices.
- Not all content on Paramount Plus has captions; older shows and some licensed movies may not include them.
- Captions stay on for all videos once enabled until you manually turn them off.
Finding the CC button on different devices
On a computer or laptop, play any video and look at the bottom right corner of the player. You will see a row of icons: a volume control, a fullscreen button, and usually a CC icon between them. Click the CC icon directly. If you see a gear icon instead, click that first, then look for "Captions" or "Subtitles" in the dropdown menu that appears.
On a smart TV (Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, or Samsung), the controls work the same way. Use your remote to highlight the CC icon in the player, then press select or enter. On some TV apps, the CC button may be labeled differently or grouped under a settings menu — if you cannot find it in the main controls, press the menu or options button on your remote and look for "Captions" or "Accessibility."
On a phone or tablet running iOS or Android, tap anywhere on the video to make the player controls appear. They will fade after a few seconds if you do not touch them again. The CC icon is usually in the bottom right, but if you do not see it, tap the three-dot menu icon (or sometimes a gear icon) and select "Captions" from the list. Some Paramount Plus apps also let you swipe up from the bottom of the screen to reveal a caption toggle.
Changing the size, color, and style of captions
Paramount Plus lets you customize how captions look. On a web browser, click the gear icon in the player controls, then select "Captions" from the menu. A panel will open with options for text size, background color, text color, and font style. You can make text larger or smaller, add a colored background behind the words, or change the text color itself. These settings usually explore to all videos you watch, so you only need to set them once.
On a smart TV or phone, the customization menu is usually in the same place as the CC button. Look for a "Caption Settings" or "Accessibility" option after you turn captions on. Not all devices offer the same level of customization — some let you change size and color, while others may only let you turn captions on or off. If you cannot find detailed caption settings on your device, try adjusting captions through your device's own accessibility menu instead (usually found in Settings on phones and tablets, or in the TV's main menu).
When captions are not available
Some content on Paramount Plus does not have captions. Older shows, some licensed movies, and certain live events may not include them. If you click the CC button and nothing appears on screen, the video likely does not have captions available. This is a limitation of the content itself, not a problem with your account or device.
Paramount Plus is gradually adding captions to more titles, but the process takes time. If a show or movie you want to watch does not have captions, you can try searching for a different version or checking back later — the captions may be added in the future. You can also contact Paramount Plus support to report missing captions on a specific title if you want to request them.
Captions versus subtitles on Paramount Plus
Paramount Plus uses the term "captions" for text that includes both dialogue and sound descriptions (like "[door slams]" or "[music playing]"). Subtitles, by contrast, usually show only the spoken words. On Paramount Plus, the CC button turns on captions, which are designed for people who are deaf or hard of hearing and need to know what sounds are happening in the scene, not just what people are saying.
Some shows also offer subtitles in different languages. If you want to watch a show in another language with English subtitles, look for a "Language" or "Audio" option in the player settings, separate from the CC button. The CC button is specifically for English captions of the English audio track.
Captions stay on across videos
Once you turn captions on, they will remain on for every video you watch in that session — you do not have to turn them on again for each show or movie. If you close the Paramount Plus app or log out, your caption preference may reset depending on your device. On most devices, captions stay enabled even after you close the app, but this varies by phone, tablet, or TV model.
If you want captions to stay on permanently across all your devices, check whether Paramount Plus offers an account-level setting. Some streaming services let you set a default preference in your account settings that applies everywhere you log in, but Paramount Plus currently does not have this feature — you will need to turn captions on separately on each device you use.
Troubleshooting captions that are not working
If you click the CC button and captions do not appear, first check whether the video actually has captions available. Reload the page or restart the app and try again. If captions still do not show up, try clearing your browser cache (on a computer) or force-closing and reopening the app (on a phone or tablet). Sometimes a temporary glitch prevents captions from loading.
If captions work on some videos but not others, the missing-caption videos may straightforward not have them available yet. If captions are not working on any video, restart your device entirely. On a smart TV, unplug it for 30 seconds, then plug it back in. On a phone or tablet, hold down the power button and restart. If the problem continues after a restart, try uninstalling and reinstalling the Paramount Plus app, or try accessing Paramount Plus through a web browser instead to see if the issue is specific to the app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make captions bigger or smaller?
Yes. Click the gear icon in the player, select "Captions," and choose your preferred text size. Most devices offer at least three size options, from small to large. If you cannot find size options in Paramount Plus, check your device's accessibility settings — you may be able to adjust caption size there instead.
Why do some shows have captions but others do not?
Paramount Plus is still adding captions to its library. Older content, licensed movies, and some live events may not have captions yet. The availability depends on the content provider and when captions were created for that title.
Do captions work on all devices?
Captions work on computers, smart TVs, phones, and tablets, but the exact steps vary by device. The CC button is always in the video player controls somewhere — usually the bottom right — but you may need to tap the screen on a phone to reveal the controls first.
Will captions stay on if I log out and log back in?
It depends on your device. On most phones and tablets, captions stay on after you close the app. On some smart TVs or computers, you may need to turn them back on the next time you watch. Paramount Plus does not currently offer an account-wide setting that applies captions across all your devices automatically.
What is the difference between captions and subtitles on Paramount Plus?
Captions include dialogue and sound descriptions like "[door slams]" or "[music playing]," while subtitles usually show only spoken words. The CC button turns on captions. If you want subtitles in a different language, look for a separate "Language" or "Audio" option in the player settings.