Closed captions are turned on through your account settings or during playback

Paramount Plus lets you enable closed captions in two places: in your account settings so captions appear on everything you watch, or during a single show or movie. The fastest route is the playback controls — you can turn captions on or off without leaving the video. If you want captions on by default for all content, you can set that in your profile settings so you never have to toggle them again.

The steps differ slightly depending on whether you are watching on a phone, tablet, computer, or TV device. Each platform has the same options, but the buttons are in different places.

Key Takeaways

  • You can turn captions on during playback by tapping or clicking the CC button in the video player controls.
  • To make captions appear on everything you watch, go to your account settings and turn on captions in your profile preferences.
  • Paramount Plus offers multiple caption styles — you can change the text size, background color, and font from the accessibility settings.
  • If captions are not available for a specific show or movie, that title does not have captions recorded yet, and you cannot force them on.

Turning on captions during playback on any device

When you are watching a show or movie, move your mouse or tap the screen to bring up the playback controls. Look for a button labeled "CC" or a speech bubble icon — this is the closed caption toggle. Click or tap it once to turn captions on. Click or tap it again to turn them off.

On phones and tablets, the CC button usually appears in the bottom right corner of the player. On computers, it is typically in the bottom right as well, next to the volume and fullscreen buttons. On TV devices like Roku, Fire Stick, or Apple TV, use your remote to highlight the CC icon and press select.

Captions will appear when ready once you turn them on. If no captions appear after you click the button, that title does not have captions available — Paramount Plus does not generate captions for every show or movie in its library.

Setting captions to turn on automatically for your profile

To make captions appear on everything you watch without having to toggle them each time, go to your account settings. On a computer or phone, click your profile icon in the top right corner and select "Account" or "Settings." Look for an option called "Accessibility" or "Captions and subtitles."

Once you find that section, you should see a toggle or checkbox for "Captions" or "Show captions by default." Turn this on. From that point forward, captions will appear automatically on any show or movie that has them available.

This setting applies only to your profile. If other people use the same Paramount Plus account with their own profiles, their settings remain separate — you can have captions on by default while someone else has them off.

Changing the look and size of captions

Paramount Plus lets you customize how captions appear on your screen. In the same Accessibility or Captions section of your account settings, you should see options to change the text size, font, background color, and text color.

You can make captions larger if they are hard to read, change the background from black to transparent, or switch to a different font style. These changes explore to all content you watch on that profile. Test the changes on a show you are currently watching to see how they look before you save them.

What to do if captions are not showing up

If you turned on captions but they are not appearing, first check that the title actually has captions. Not every show or movie on Paramount Plus has closed captions available. Try switching to a different show to see if captions work there — if they do, the first title straightforward does not have captions recorded.

If captions are not working on any title, try signing out of your account and signing back in. Close the Paramount Plus app completely and reopen it, or refresh the page if you are using a web browser. If you are on a TV device, restart the device itself. These steps often fix temporary glitches with the caption system.

If captions still do not appear after you have tried these steps and confirmed that the title has captions available, contact Paramount Plus support through the help section of your account. Describe which title you were watching and what device you were using.

Captions versus subtitles on Paramount Plus

Paramount Plus offers both closed captions and subtitles, and they are not the same thing. Closed captions include dialogue plus sound effects and music cues — they are designed for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Subtitles show only the dialogue translated into another language.

When you click the CC button during playback, you are turning on closed captions in your current language. If you want subtitles in a different language, look for a separate "Subtitles" or "Languages" option in the playback controls, usually near the CC button.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are captions not available for a show I want to watch?

Paramount Plus does not have captions for every title in its library. Older shows and some licensed content may not have captions recorded. The platform adds captions to new releases over time, but there is no set timeline for when a specific show will get them.

Can I use captions on Paramount Plus on my TV?

Yes. On Roku, Fire Stick, Apple TV, and other streaming devices, use your remote to bring up the playback controls and look for the CC button. The process is the same as on other devices — tap or click to turn captions on or off.

Do captions work on the Paramount Plus free tier?

Yes. Closed captions are available on all Paramount Plus subscription levels, including the free ad-supported tier. The caption feature does not change based on which plan you have.

Can I change caption settings for just one show?

You can customize how captions look during playback on that one show, but the easiest way is to change your profile settings so the look you want applies to everything. There is no way to set different caption styles for different shows — the settings explore across your entire profile.

What if my device does not show a CC button?

Make sure the playback controls are visible — on most devices, you need to tap or move your mouse over the video to see them. If the controls appear but there is no CC button, your device may not support captions, or the title does not have captions available. Try a different title to confirm.