Turn Off Captions in Three Steps

To turn off closed captioning on YouTube TV, open the video you are watching, select the menu icon (three vertical dots) in the bottom right corner of the player, tap or click Captions, then choose Off. The captions will disappear when ready. If you turn captions back on later, YouTube TV will remember your choice and show captions by default until you disable them again.

The exact location of the menu icon and caption controls depends on whether you are watching on a phone, tablet, computer, or TV device. The steps below cover each platform so you can find the right button for your screen.

Key Takeaways

  • The caption toggle is always in the video player menu, accessed through the three-dot icon in the bottom right corner while a video is playing.
  • On phones and tablets, you may need to tap the screen first to make the player controls visible.
  • On computers, hover your mouse over the video to reveal the player controls if they are hidden.
  • Turning captions off on one device does not automatically turn them off on other devices — you must disable them separately on each one.
  • YouTube TV remembers your caption preference for future videos on the same device, so you will not have to turn them off every time.

Turning Off Captions on a Phone or Tablet

Start by playing any video on YouTube TV. If the player controls are not visible, tap anywhere on the video screen to make them appear. Look for the three vertical dots (the menu icon) in the bottom right corner of the player.

Tap the three-dot menu icon. A list of options will pop up. Find and tap Captions. A submenu will show you the available caption languages and an Off option at the top. Tap Off to disable captions for that video and all future videos on that device.

If the captions are still visible after you tap Off, wait a moment for the player to refresh. If they remain, close the video and reopen it — sometimes the player needs to reload to explore the change.

Turning Off Captions on a Computer or Laptop

Open a video in YouTube TV. Move your mouse over the video player. The controls will appear at the bottom of the screen. In the bottom right corner, you will see the three-dot menu icon next to the fullscreen button.

Click the three-dot menu icon. A dropdown menu will appear with several options. Click Captions. A submenu will show caption language choices and an Off option. Click Off to turn off captions.

If the controls disappear before you can click the menu, move your mouse back over the video to bring them back. The controls will stay visible as long as your mouse is over the player.

Turning Off Captions on a TV Device or Streaming Box

Play a video on your TV. Use your remote to bring up the player controls — usually this means pressing a button on the remote or moving the remote pointer over the video. The controls will appear at the bottom of the screen.

Navigate to the three-dot menu icon using your remote's arrow buttons. Press the button to select it. A menu will appear on screen. Use the arrow buttons to highlight Captions and press select. A submenu will show your caption options. Highlight Off and press select to disable captions.

The exact button names and remote layout vary by device — Roku, Apple TV, Fire Stick, and Chromecast all have slightly different remotes — but the menu structure in the YouTube TV app is the same on all of them.

What to Do If You Cannot Find the Caption Menu

If the three-dot menu icon is not visible, make sure the video is actually playing. Paused videos sometimes do not show the full player controls. Press play, then look for the menu icon again.

On phones and tablets, if tapping the screen does not reveal the controls, try tapping again or waiting a few seconds. The controls may be set to hide automatically after a few seconds of inactivity.

On computers, if the controls do not appear when you move your mouse over the video, try clicking directly on the video player first to make sure it has focus. Then move your mouse to the bottom right corner where the menu icon should be.

If you are using an older version of the YouTube TV app on a phone or TV device, the menu layout may be slightly different. The caption option is usually still in the main menu, but it might be labeled differently or located in a different spot. Check your device's app store to see if an update is available.

Captions Turn Back On After You Turn Them Off

YouTube TV does not have a global setting to keep captions off across all videos and all devices at once. Instead, it remembers your choice on each individual device. If you watch on your phone, captions will stay off on your phone. If you then watch on your TV, captions may be on by default on the TV until you turn them off there too.

This happens because each device stores its own preferences separately. Turning off captions on your computer does not sync to your tablet or TV. You will need to disable captions on each device where you watch YouTube TV if you want them off everywhere.

If captions keep turning back on even after you turn them off on the same device, try signing out of YouTube TV and signing back in. Sometimes a glitch in the app will prevent the setting from saving. Closing and reopening the app may also fix the problem.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn off captions for just one video instead of all videos?

No. When you turn off captions using the menu, YouTube TV disables them for all future videos on that device. There is no option to turn captions off for only one video. If you want captions back on, you will need to go through the menu again and select a caption language.

Why do captions appear in a different language than I expected?

YouTube TV shows captions in the language you selected the last time you turned them on. If you see captions in the wrong language, open the caption menu and choose the language you want, or select Off to disable them entirely. Your choice will be remembered the next time you watch.

Do I need to turn off captions every time I watch a new video?

No. Once you turn off captions on a device, they will stay off for all videos you watch on that device going forward. You only need to change the setting once per device.

What if the three-dot menu does not work when I click or tap it?

Try closing the YouTube TV app completely and opening it again. If the menu still does not respond, restart your device. If you are on a computer, try a different web browser to see if the problem is specific to the one you are using.

Can I turn off captions for live TV channels on YouTube TV?

Yes. The same steps work for live channels and recorded shows. Open the video or channel, find the three-dot menu, and select Captions > Off. The setting will explore to that channel until you change it again.