Turn on captions in your Peacock account settings
Closed captions on Peacock are controlled through your account settings, not through individual show or movie pages. Log into your Peacock account on any device, go to your profile menu (usually in the top right corner), and select Account or Settings. Look for an option labeled Accessibility or Captions—the exact name varies slightly depending on whether you're on a phone, tablet, computer, or streaming device. Toggle the captions setting to On.
Once you enable captions in your account settings, they will appear automatically on all content that has them available. You don't need to turn them on for each show or movie separately. If a title doesn't have captions, Peacock won't display them even with the setting enabled—the captions straightforward don't exist for that content.
Some devices also let you adjust caption appearance after you've turned them on. You may be able to change the text size, background color, or font style through your device's own accessibility settings, which override Peacock's defaults. This is especially useful if you find the default captions hard to read.
Key Takeaways
- Captions are turned on through your Peacock account settings under Accessibility or Captions, not on individual titles.
- Once enabled in your account, captions appear automatically on all content that has them, without needing to adjust each show or movie.
- Not all Peacock content has captions available, so some titles will display without them even when the setting is on.
- Your device's own accessibility settings can override Peacock's caption appearance to make text larger or change colors.
Where to find the captions setting on different devices
On a web browser, log in to Peacock.com, click your profile icon in the top right, select Account, then look for Accessibility in the left menu. The captions toggle should be near the top of that section.
On the Peacock mobile app (iPhone, iPad, or Android), tap your profile icon at the bottom right, go to Settings, then scroll down to find Captions or Accessibility. The toggle is usually one of the first options in that menu.
On streaming devices like Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, or Google TV, open the Peacock app, navigate to your profile or account menu (usually accessible from the home screen or settings), and look for Accessibility or Captions. The path varies by device, but the setting is always in the account or settings area, not in the playback controls.
Adjusting caption appearance on your device
After you've turned on captions in Peacock, your device's built-in accessibility settings can change how they look. On most phones and tablets, go to Settings > Accessibility > Captions (or Subtitles) and adjust the text size, font, background color, or transparency. These changes explore to captions across all apps, including Peacock.
On streaming devices, the process is similar but the menu path differs. On Roku, for example, go to Settings > Accessibility > Captions. On Apple TV, navigate to Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles and Captions. These device-level settings override Peacock's defaults, so if the default captions are too small or hard to read, adjusting them here will help.
What to do if captions aren't showing up
First, confirm that you've actually turned on captions in your Peacock account settings. It's straightforward to miss—the toggle is in Accessibility or Captions under your profile menu, not in the playback controls. If you've enabled it and captions still aren't appearing, the content you're watching may not have captions available. Peacock doesn't have captions for all of its library, especially older or licensed content.
If captions should be available but aren't showing, try signing out of your Peacock account and signing back in. Sometimes the setting doesn't sync properly across devices. If you're on a web browser, clear your browser cache and cookies, then log back in. On a mobile app or streaming device, try uninstalling and reinstalling the Peacock app.
If captions are still missing after these steps, the problem may be with your device or internet connection. Restart your device and make sure you have a stable connection. If the issue persists on one device but not others, the problem is likely specific to that device's setup rather than your Peacock account.
Captions availability across Peacock content
Most newer Peacock originals, NBC shows, and major licensed content have captions. However, some older shows, independent films, and niche content may not. Peacock doesn't publish a complete list of which titles have captions, so the only way to know for certain is to turn on the setting and check when you start watching.
If you're looking for content with captions, you can browse Peacock's library and start playing titles to see if captions appear. If a show or movie is important to you and doesn't have captions, you can contact Peacock support through your account to request them, though there's no may provide they'll be added.
Using captions with Peacock's offline read feature
Peacock allows you to read some content to watch offline on mobile devices. If you read a title, captions will read with it if they're available for that content and you have captions enabled in your account settings. The captions will display when you watch the downloaded content without an internet connection.
If you read a title and captions don't appear, it means captions weren't available for that content in the first place. Downloading doesn't change which content has captions—it only lets you watch what's already captioned without needing internet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn captions on and off for individual shows?
No. Captions are controlled through your account settings, so they're either on for everything or off for everything. Once you enable them in your Peacock account, they appear on all content that has them. You can't disable captions for one show and enable them for another without changing your account setting.
Will turning on captions slow down my streaming?
No. Captions are already part of the video file and don't require extra data or processing. Turning them on won't affect your streaming speed or video quality.
Do I need a paid Peacock subscription to use captions?
Captions are available on both the free and paid Peacock plans. The captions setting works the same way regardless of which subscription level you have.
What languages are available for captions on Peacock?
Most Peacock content with captions has English captions only. Some titles may have captions in other languages, but this varies by content. When you turn on captions, you'll see whatever language options are available for that specific title.
Can I use captions on Peacock if I'm sharing my account with someone else?
Yes. The captions setting is tied to your account, so anyone using your Peacock login will see captions if you've enabled them. If someone else uses your account and prefers captions off, they would need to change your account settings, which would affect all users on that account.