Turn on closed captions in your Peacock player settings

Closed captions on Peacock are controlled through the player itself, not your account settings. When you start playing a show or movie, look for the CC icon in the bottom right corner of the video player — it looks like a rectangle with two lines inside. Click or tap it once to turn captions on. Click it again to turn them off.

The CC button appears on all devices: web browsers, phones, tablets, Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, and Chromecast. On some devices the button may be hidden until you move your mouse or tap the screen, which brings up the player controls. If you don't see the CC icon, the title you're watching may not have captions available.

Once you turn captions on for one title, they stay on for your next video — you won't have to click the button again unless you turn them off. This setting is tied to your device, not your account, so captions may be off on your phone even if you left them on on your TV.

Key Takeaways

  • The CC button in the bottom right corner of the Peacock player turns captions on and off for whatever you're watching.
  • Captions stay on for your next video once you turn them on, but the setting is per-device, not account-wide.
  • Not every title on Peacock has captions available, and there is no way to filter the catalog to show only captioned content.
  • If the CC button doesn't appear, move your mouse or tap the screen to reveal the player controls.
  • Peacock does not offer a way to change caption size, color, or font through the app — you are limited to the default appearance.

What to do if the CC button doesn't appear

If you don't see the CC icon when you play a video, the most common reason is that the player controls are hidden. On web browsers and most streaming devices, the controls disappear after a few seconds of inactivity. Move your mouse, tap the screen, or press the spacebar to bring them back. The CC button should then be visible in the bottom right.

If the controls appear but there is no CC button at all, that title does not have captions. Peacock does not publish which shows and movies have captions before you start playing them, so you may not know until you try. If you need captions for a specific title, you can check the show or movie's details page on Peacock — sometimes a note appears there — or contact Peacock support to ask whether captions are available.

Captions versus subtitles on Peacock

Peacock uses the term "closed captions" (CC) for all text on screen, but technically the service offers both captions and subtitles. Captions include dialogue and sound effects — "[door slams]", "[phone rings]" — and are meant for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Subtitles show only dialogue and are meant for people watching in another language or in a noisy environment.

When you click the CC button on Peacock, you get captions by default. Some titles offer subtitles in other languages as a separate option. To see if a title has subtitles in Spanish, French, or another language, look for a menu or dropdown near the CC button — it may be labeled "Audio & Subtitles" or "Subtitles". Not all titles have language subtitles available.

Why captions might be missing from a title you want to watch

Peacock does not caption every title in its library. Older shows, independent films, and some licensed content may not have captions because the original studio or distributor did not provide them. Peacock is required by law to caption most content under the Americans with Disabilities Act, but the requirement has exceptions for certain types of programming, and compliance is still rolling out across the service.

If a title you want to watch does not have captions, you have a few options. You can search Peacock's catalog for a different version of the same show — sometimes older seasons have captions while newer ones don't, or vice versa. You can also contact Peacock support and request that captions be added; if enough people request them, the service may prioritize that title. In the meantime, you may be able to watch the same content on another streaming service that does have captions available.

Adjusting caption appearance on other devices

Peacock itself does not let you change the size, color, background, or font of captions within the app. However, some devices allow you to override caption appearance at the system level. On Apple TV, go to Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles and Captions and adjust the style there — Peacock will use those settings. On Roku, the same controls are in Settings > Accessibility > Captions.

On Android phones and tablets, you can adjust captions through Settings > Accessibility > Captions, though not all Android devices support this feature. On web browsers and Windows, Peacock uses the browser's or system's default caption appearance, and you cannot customize it. If you need larger or more readable captions, adjusting your device's system settings is the best option.

Troubleshooting captions that won't turn on

If you click the CC button but captions don't appear, first check that the title actually has captions available — try a different show to see if captions work there. If captions work on other titles but not this one, that specific title does not have captions.

If captions don't work on any title, try closing the Peacock app completely and reopening it. On web browsers, refresh the page. If that doesn't work, sign out of your account, close the browser or app, and sign back in. If captions still don't appear, the issue may be with your device or internet connection — try watching on a different device to narrow down the problem. If nothing works, contact Peacock support with the name of the title you were trying to watch and the device you were using.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make captions the default so they're always on?

Peacock does not have an account-level setting to turn captions on by default. However, once you turn captions on for one video, they stay on for your next video on that same device. If you want captions on every time you use Peacock, you'll need to turn them on once per device and they'll remain on until you turn them off.

Do I need a paid Peacock subscription to use captions?

No. Closed captions are available on all Peacock plans, including the free tier. The CC button works the same way whether you're watching with ads or without ads.

Why are some captions out of sync with the dialogue?

Timing issues usually happen when your internet connection is slow or unstable, causing the video to buffer. Pause the video for a few seconds to let it load ahead, then resume. If the problem continues, try closing and reopening the app, or restart your device. If captions are consistently out of sync on one title, that may be a problem with how Peacock encoded the captions for that specific show.

Can I read shows with captions to watch offline?

Peacock does not support offline downloads on any plan. You can only watch Peacock content while streaming online, and captions will appear if they're available for that title.