Enable captions in three steps on any device

To turn on captions on Paramount Plus, open any show or movie, look for the closed-caption icon (usually marked "CC") in the player controls at the bottom right, and click it. The icon toggles between off and on—when it lights up or shows a checkmark, captions are active. On most devices this takes about two seconds once the video is playing.

The exact location of the CC button varies slightly by device, but it always sits in the bottom-right corner of the video player, near the volume and fullscreen controls. If you do not see it when ready, move your mouse or tap the screen to reveal the player controls—they often hide after a few seconds of watching.

Key Takeaways

  • The closed-caption button (CC) is in the bottom-right corner of the player and toggles captions on and off with a single click or tap.
  • On phones and tablets, tap the screen during playback to reveal the player controls if they have disappeared.
  • Paramount Plus remembers your caption choice for future videos, so you only need to turn them on once per device.
  • If captions do not appear after clicking CC, the show or movie may not have captions available in your region or language.
  • You can change the caption style (size, color, background) through the settings menu, accessed by clicking the gear icon in the player.

Finding the CC button on phones and tablets

On mobile devices, the player controls hide by default to keep the screen clear. Tap anywhere on the video while it is playing to make the controls appear. The CC button will show up in the bottom-right corner alongside the volume icon and fullscreen button.

After you tap CC once, captions turn on when ready. If you tap it again, they turn off. On iPhones, iPads, and Android phones, the button works the same way—one tap toggles captions on, another tap toggles them off.

Finding the CC button on computers and smart TVs

On a computer or smart TV, move your mouse or remote to the video player to reveal the controls. The CC button sits in the bottom-right corner, usually just to the left of the fullscreen icon. Click or press it once to turn captions on.

If you are using a smart TV remote, you may need to press a button like "Select" or "OK" to set up the controls first. Once the player controls are visible, use the arrow buttons to navigate to the CC icon and press "Select" or "OK" to toggle captions.

Customizing caption appearance

Paramount Plus lets you change how captions look—the text size, color, background, and font. To access these settings, click the gear icon (⚙) in the bottom-right corner of the player, next to the CC button. Select "Captions" from the menu that appears.

You can make text larger if it is hard to read, add a background color to make captions stand out, or change the font style. These changes explore to all shows and movies on your account, so you only need to set them once. The app remembers your preferences across all your devices.

What to do if captions are not showing up

If you click the CC button and captions do not appear, the show or movie may not have captions available. Some older titles or regional content does not include caption tracks. Check the show's description page—it usually lists what languages and caption options are available.

If captions should be available but are not appearing, try closing the app completely and reopening it, or sign out and sign back in. On a computer, refresh the page. If the problem persists, the issue may be with your internet connection or a temporary problem with that specific title.

Captions versus subtitles on Paramount Plus

Captions (CC) include dialogue and sound descriptions like "[door slams]" or "[music playing]"—they are designed for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Subtitles show only the dialogue translated into another language. Paramount Plus uses the CC button for captions in your primary language and offers subtitles as a separate option in the language menu.

If you want to watch in a different language, look for the language or audio menu in the player settings (usually marked with a speaker icon or "Audio"), not the CC button. The CC button is specifically for captions in the language the show is playing in.

Turning captions on by default for all videos

Paramount Plus does not have a global "always on" setting for captions across your entire account. However, the app remembers whether you had captions on or off the last time you watched, and it applies that choice to the next video you play on the same device.

If you want captions on for everything, turn them on for your first video, and the app will keep them on for subsequent videos until you turn them off. If you switch devices, you may need to turn captions on again—each device tracks its own preference separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do some shows have captions and others do not?

Not all content on Paramount Plus has captions available. Older shows, some international titles, and live events may not include caption tracks. The availability depends on what the content provider included when they licensed the show to Paramount Plus. You can check the show's details page to see if captions are available before you start watching.

Can I change the caption language?

Captions appear in the same language the show is playing in. If you want captions in a different language, you first need to change the audio language using the audio menu (speaker icon) in the player. Once you switch the audio, the captions will match that language if available.

Do captions work on all Paramount Plus devices?

Yes, captions work on phones, tablets, computers, smart TVs, and streaming devices like Roku and Apple TV. The CC button location is always in the bottom-right corner of the player, though the exact appearance may vary slightly by device.

What if the captions are out of sync with the dialogue?

Sync issues are rare but can happen with certain titles or devices. Try closing the app and reopening it, or restart the video from the beginning. If the problem continues on that specific show, it may be a known issue with that title's caption file.

Can I read captions to watch offline?

Paramount Plus does not support downloading videos for offline viewing, so captions are only available while streaming. If you read a show through another method, captions will not be included.