Turn off captions in three steps on any device

To turn off captions on Paramount Plus, open any video, look for the CC icon in the bottom right corner of the player, and click it once. The icon will stop being highlighted, and captions will disappear. On mobile devices, you may need to tap the screen first to make the player controls visible, then tap the CC icon. The setting applies only to that single video — if you start a different show or movie, captions will return to whatever your default is.

If captions are on by default every time you start the app, you can change that in your account settings so they stay off unless you turn them back on. This takes about a minute and saves you from clicking the CC button repeatedly.

Key Takeaways

  • The CC button in the bottom right of the video player toggles captions on and off for that video only.
  • Turning off captions for one video does not turn them off for the next show you watch — each video remembers its own setting.
  • You can change your account default in Settings so captions stay off across all videos unless you manually turn them on.
  • On phones and tablets, tap the screen to reveal the player controls if the CC button is not visible.

Where to find the CC button on different devices

On a web browser or smart TV, the CC icon sits in the bottom right corner of the video player, next to the volume control and the fullscreen button. It looks like a small rectangle with lines inside it. Click it once to turn captions off; click it again to turn them back on. The button is always visible while a video is playing.

On a phone or tablet, the player controls hide after a few seconds of inactivity. Tap anywhere on the video to bring them back, then tap the CC icon. If you do not see a CC button, your app may be outdated — check your device's app store for an update.

On Roku, Apple TV, Fire Stick, and other streaming devices, the CC button appears in the same bottom-right position. Use your remote to navigate to it and press select. Some older remotes may require you to use the arrow buttons to highlight the CC icon before pressing the center button.

Changing your default caption setting in account settings

If captions turn on automatically every time you open Paramount Plus, you can change this in your account settings. Log in to your account on a web browser, click your profile icon in the top right, and select Account. Scroll down to Playback Settings and look for the Captions option.

You will see a dropdown menu with options like Off, On, or Auto (which shows captions in the language of your content). Select Off to make captions stay off by default. Save your changes. The next time you play a video, captions will not appear unless you click the CC button to turn them on.

This setting applies to your entire account across all devices you use to log in. If you share your account with someone else who prefers captions on, they can change this setting back in their own profile if Paramount Plus supports multiple profiles on your plan.

Why captions might turn back on between videos

Paramount Plus remembers your caption choice for each individual video. If you turn captions off for one episode and then start a different show, the app may default back to your account setting. This is normal behavior — the app is not malfunctioning.

If you have set your account default to Off but captions keep appearing, try clearing your app cache. On most phones and tablets, go to Settings, find Apps or process Manager, select Paramount Plus, and tap Clear Cache. This removes temporary files that may be overriding your preference. Restart the app and try playing a video.

Captions in different languages and formats

When you click the CC button, you may see options for different languages or subtitle formats. On some videos, you can choose between English captions, English SDH (which includes sound descriptions like "[door slams]"), or captions in other languages if available. Tap or click the CC icon to cycle through these options, or look for a dropdown menu that lists them all.

If you want captions in a specific language every time you watch, check your account settings. In Playback Settings, some versions of Paramount Plus let you set a preferred caption language. This overrides the default and applies across all content.

Troubleshooting captions that won't turn off

If the CC button does not respond when you click it, the video player may not have loaded properly. Pause the video, wait a few seconds, and try clicking the CC button again. If it still does not work, refresh the page or close and reopen the app.

On smart TVs and streaming devices, a frozen or unresponsive player sometimes clears itself if you exit the video, go back to the home screen, and restart the same show. If captions remain stuck on after that, restart your device entirely by unplugging it for 10 seconds and plugging it back in.

If you are using an older version of the Paramount Plus app, update it from your device's app store. Older versions sometimes have bugs with the caption controls. After updating, close the app completely and open it again to may support the new version is running.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do captions turn off for all my devices if I change the setting once?

Yes. If you change your account default to Off in your web browser settings, that applies to every device you log into with that account — your phone, tablet, smart TV, and computer. Individual videos may still remember their own caption state, but new videos will follow your account default.

Can I turn off captions for just one show and keep them on for others?

Not automatically. You can turn captions off for individual videos by clicking the CC button, but the next time you watch a different show, captions will return to your account default. If your default is On, you will need to click CC to turn them off each time.

Why do some videos have captions and others don't?

Not all content on Paramount Plus includes captions. Older shows, some live events, and certain licensed content may not have captions available. If the CC button is grayed out or missing, that video does not have captions to display.

What is the difference between captions and subtitles on Paramount Plus?

Captions include dialogue and sound descriptions like "[music playing]" or "[door slams]". Subtitles show only dialogue. Paramount Plus usually offers both — look for an option labeled SDH (which stands for Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing) if you want the full caption experience with sound cues.

If I turn off captions, will they stay off when I pause and resume?

Yes. Pausing and resuming a video keeps your caption setting intact. Captions will only turn back on if you exit the video completely and start a different one, or if your account default is set to On.