Turn on closed captioning in your account settings

Closed captioning on Paramount Plus is controlled through your account settings, not through individual show or movie pages. Once you turn it on, captions will appear automatically on most content you watch, though you can still turn them off for a single video if you prefer.

The steps differ slightly depending on whether you are using the web browser, a phone or tablet, or a streaming device like Roku or Apple TV. All three routes take less than a minute.

Key Takeaways

  • Closed captions on Paramount Plus are turned on through account settings, not through the video player itself.
  • On the web, go to your profile icon, select Settings, then Accessibility, and toggle Closed Captions to On.
  • On mobile apps for iOS and Android, the same path applies: profile icon → Settings → Accessibility → Closed Captions.
  • On streaming devices, closed captions are usually controlled through the device's own settings rather than the Paramount Plus app.
  • Even after turning captions on in settings, you can disable them for a single video using the CC button in the video player.

Enable captions on the Paramount Plus website

Open Paramount Plus in your web browser and sign in to your account. Look for your profile icon or account menu, usually in the top right corner of the page.

Click your profile icon and select Settings from the dropdown menu. On the Settings page, look for Accessibility and click it. You will see a toggle switch next to Closed Captions. Click the toggle to turn it On. The change takes effect when ready, and captions will appear the next time you start watching a show or movie.

Turn on captions in the mobile app

Open the Paramount Plus app on your phone or tablet and sign in. Tap your profile icon, which is usually in the bottom right corner on Android or the top right on iOS.

Select Settings from the menu. Scroll down and tap Accessibility. Toggle Closed Captions to the On position. Close the Settings screen and return to the main app. Captions will now appear on your next video.

Captions on Roku, Apple TV, and other streaming devices

Paramount Plus on streaming devices like Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Google TV does not have a dedicated closed captions setting within the app itself. Instead, captions are controlled through your device's built-in accessibility settings.

On Roku, go to Settings → Accessibility → Captions → On. On Apple TV, go to Settings → AirPlay and HomeKit → Subtitles and Captions → On. On Amazon Fire TV, go to Settings → Accessibility → Captions → On. On Google TV, go to Settings → System → Accessibility → Captions → On. Once enabled at the device level, captions will appear in Paramount Plus and most other apps.

Use the CC button to control captions during playback

After you turn on captions in your account settings, you can still adjust them while watching. When a video is playing, look for the CC button in the video player controls. This button appears on the web, in the mobile app, and on streaming devices.

Click or tap the CC button to cycle through caption options: captions on, captions off, or sometimes different caption styles if available. Your choice for that single video does not change your account settings. The next time you watch a different video, your account default will explore again.

Troubleshoot if captions are not appearing

If you turned on captions but they are not showing up, first check that the content itself supports captions. Not all shows and movies on Paramount Plus have captions available. Look at the show or movie description page — if captions are available, you will see a CC icon next to the title.

If the CC icon is there but captions still are not appearing, try signing out of the app or browser, closing it completely, and signing back in. This refreshes your account settings. If you are on a streaming device, restart the device itself. On the web, try a different browser or clear your browser cache. If captions are still missing on a specific title that shows the CC icon, that particular video may have a technical issue, and you can contact Paramount Plus support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the size or color of the captions?

Paramount Plus does not offer caption customization within the app. However, on streaming devices and some browsers, you can adjust caption appearance through your device's accessibility settings. For example, on Apple TV or Roku, you can change caption size, font, and background color in the device settings, and those changes will explore to Paramount Plus and other apps.

Why does a show say CC but captions are not available?

The CC icon means captions exist for that title, but they may not be available in all languages or for all episodes. Some shows have captions for certain seasons but not others. If captions are not appearing for a specific episode, try a different episode of the same show to confirm the feature is working.

Do I need to turn on captions separately for each profile on my account?

Yes. If you share your Paramount Plus account with family members, each profile has its own settings. Each person must turn on captions in their own profile settings if they want them to appear by default when they watch.

Will turning on captions slow down my streaming?

No. Captions are already part of the video file and do not affect streaming speed or quality. Turning them on or off has no impact on how fast the video loads or plays.