Turn on closed captions in your Paramount Plus account settings
Closed captions on Paramount Plus are controlled through your account settings, not through individual shows. Once you turn them on, they will appear automatically on most content you watch—though you can still turn them off for a single show if you want to. The setting takes about 30 seconds to change and works across all your devices.
Open Paramount Plus on any web browser or app. Click or tap your profile icon in the top right corner, then select Account from the menu. Look for Playback Settings or Accessibility (the exact name varies by device). Find the option labeled Closed Captions or Subtitles and toggle it to On. Save your changes if prompted.
The next time you start a show or movie, captions will appear at the bottom of the screen by default. If you are watching on a TV app and captions do not appear, check that your TV itself has captions enabled in its own settings—sometimes both the app and the device need the feature turned on.
Key Takeaways
- Closed captions are turned on through your Paramount Plus account settings, not through individual shows or movies.
- The setting is found under Account or Playback Settings, depending on which device you are using.
- Once enabled, captions will appear automatically on most content, though you can turn them off for a single show using the player controls.
- If captions do not appear on a TV app, check that your television itself has captions enabled in its own settings.
- Captions are available in English on most Paramount Plus content, though some international shows may have limited caption options.
How to turn captions on and off during playback
Even if you have captions turned on in your account settings, you can turn them off for a single show without changing your account. While a show is playing, look for the closed caption icon—it usually looks like a rectangle with lines or the letters "CC"—in the player controls at the bottom of the screen.
On web browsers and most apps, click or tap that icon to cycle through caption options: usually On, Off, and sometimes On (Large) or other text sizes. The change applies only to that viewing session. The next time you watch something, your account default will take over again.
If you cannot find the caption icon, try right-clicking on the video (on web) or looking for a menu icon (three dots or lines) in the player controls. Some older Paramount Plus apps have the caption toggle buried in a settings menu rather than displayed directly on the player.
Caption options and text size on different devices
Paramount Plus offers a few ways to customize how captions look, though the options vary depending on your device. On web browsers and newer apps, you may see choices for text size, background color, and font style. These are usually found by clicking the caption icon during playback and looking for a Settings or Gear icon.
On TV apps (Roku, Fire Stick, Apple TV, and others), caption customization is often limited. You may only be able to turn captions on or off, with the text size and appearance controlled by your TV's own accessibility settings. If captions are too small or hard to read on your TV, check your television's menu for caption settings—most TVs let you adjust font size, background opacity, and color independently of the streaming app.
Mobile apps (iPhone, iPad, Android) usually offer basic caption controls through the player, but full customization often requires adjusting your device's system-wide caption settings. On iPhones and iPads, go to Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles & Captioning. On Android, go to Settings > Accessibility > Captions. Changes made there affect captions across all apps on your device.
What to do if captions are not appearing
If you have turned on captions in your Paramount Plus settings but they are not showing up, start by checking that the setting actually saved. Log out of your account completely, then log back in and go to Account settings again to confirm captions are still set to On. Sometimes the change does not stick on the first try, especially on TV apps.
Next, try closing the Paramount Plus app completely and reopening it. On TV devices, unplug the device for 10 seconds, then plug it back in. This clears the app's memory and often fixes display problems. If you are watching on a web browser, try a different browser or clear your browser cache.
If captions still do not appear, check whether the specific show or movie you are watching has captions available. Not all Paramount Plus content includes captions—older films, some international content, and live sports may not have them. Try starting a different show to see if captions appear there. If they do, the first show straightforward does not have captions in its file.
On TV apps, also check your television's own caption settings. Some TVs have captions disabled by default, and the TV's setting overrides the app's setting. Look in your TV's menu for Accessibility, Captions, or Closed Captions and make sure it is turned on.
Captions in different languages and content types
Paramount Plus offers captions in English for the vast majority of its content. Some shows and movies may also include captions in Spanish or other languages, but this varies by title. If you are looking for captions in a language other than English, check the show's details page before you start watching—it will list available caption languages.
Live content, including live sports and breaking news, may have captions available, but they are often added with a delay of a few seconds. Recorded shows and movies have captions from the start. If you are watching a live event and captions are not appearing when ready, wait a few moments—they may still be loading.
Some Paramount Plus originals and newer films have more detailed captions that include descriptions of sound effects and music, marked as SDH (Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing). These are especially useful if you rely on captions to understand dialogue, music cues, and background sounds. SDH captions are usually the default when captions are turned on, and you cannot switch to a different caption type from the player.
Troubleshooting captions on specific devices
Roku: Open Paramount Plus and go to Settings (gear icon) > Accessibility > Closed Captions. Toggle to On. If captions still do not appear, check your Roku's own settings: Settings > Accessibility > Captions and make sure it is enabled.
Fire Stick: In Paramount Plus, go to your profile icon > Settings > Playback > Closed Captions and turn it on. On the Fire Stick itself, go to Settings > Accessibility > Captions and enable it there as well.
Apple TV: Open Paramount Plus and tap your profile > Settings > Playback > Closed Captions. Turn it on. Also check your Apple TV's system settings: Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles and Captions and make sure captions are enabled.
Web browser: Log in to Paramount Plus, click your profile icon > Account > Playback Settings > Closed Captions. Toggle to On. If captions do not appear, try disabling browser extensions (especially ad blockers) and refresh the page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to turn on captions for every device I use?
No. Once you turn on captions in your Paramount Plus account settings, they will be on across all devices you log into—phones, tablets, computers, and TV apps. You only need to change the setting once in your account.
Can I make captions bigger or change their color?
On web browsers and newer mobile apps, you can adjust text size and appearance by clicking the caption icon during playback and looking for a settings option. On TV apps, caption appearance is usually controlled by your television's own accessibility settings, not by Paramount Plus.
Why do some shows not have captions?
Not all Paramount Plus content includes captions. Older films, some international shows, and live sports may not have them available. Check the show's details page to see if captions are listed before you start watching.
What if captions are out of sync with the dialogue?
Paramount Plus does not offer manual sync adjustment. If captions are noticeably delayed, try closing the app and reopening it, or restart your device. If the problem persists, the show's caption file itself may have an issue—try a different show to see if the problem is specific to that title.
Can I read shows with captions to watch offline?
Paramount Plus does not currently support downloading shows for offline viewing, so captions are only available when you stream. You must have an active internet connection to watch with captions.