Turn off captions in three steps

Open YouTube TV and start playing any video or live channel. Look at the bottom right corner of the player — you will see a CC icon (white letters on a dark rectangle). Click or tap it once. The icon will dim or disappear, and captions will stop appearing on screen.

If you do not see the CC icon, move your mouse over the video player or tap the screen to make the controls visible. The icon appears only when the player is active. On mobile devices, the CC button may be in a menu — tap the three dots (more options) in the bottom right, then select "Captions" and toggle it off.

Your choice applies only to that viewing session. If you close YouTube TV and return later, captions may be on again depending on your account settings. To make captions stay off across all your devices, you can change your default in account settings.

Key Takeaways

  • The CC button in the bottom right corner of the player turns captions on and off when ready — click it once to toggle.
  • On phones and tablets, tap the three-dot menu if you do not see the CC button directly on the player.
  • Turning captions off during one video does not keep them off permanently — they may reappear the next time you watch.
  • You can set captions to stay off by default in your YouTube account settings under "Playback and performance."

Where the CC button is on different devices

On a computer or smart TV, the CC icon sits in the bottom right corner of the video player, next to the volume and fullscreen buttons. It looks like a white rectangle with two letters inside. If the player controls are hidden, move your mouse over the video or press the spacebar to reveal them.

On an iPhone or iPad, tap the screen once to show the player controls, then look for the CC icon in the bottom right. If you do not see it there, tap the three vertical dots (more options) and look for a "Captions" or "Subtitles" option in the menu that appears.

On Android phones, the process is the same: tap the screen to show controls, then tap the three dots. Scroll down in the menu until you see "Captions" — tap it to turn captions off. The exact wording and menu location can vary slightly depending on your device model and YouTube TV app version.

Making captions stay off by default

If you want captions off every time you watch, you can change your account default. Go to your YouTube account settings by clicking your profile picture in the top right corner and selecting "Settings." On mobile, tap your profile picture, then tap "Settings."

Look for "Playback and performance" in the settings menu. Under that section, you will see an option for captions or subtitles. Select "Off" or "Never show captions" — the exact wording depends on your device. Save your changes.

This setting applies to all devices where you are signed into your YouTube account. If you share a device with someone else who uses a different account, their settings will be separate. Changing the default does not affect live TV captions, which some channels require by law and may not allow you to turn off.

Why captions might turn back on

YouTube TV sometimes resets captions to "on" after a system update or if you clear your browser cache and cookies. If you have set captions to off in your account settings and they still appear, try signing out and signing back in. This refreshes your settings on that device.

Some live channels and news broadcasts are required by law to display captions and do not give viewers the option to turn them off. If you are watching a live channel and the CC button is grayed out or missing, that channel's captions cannot be disabled.

If captions appear in a language you do not recognize, you may be able to change the language instead of turning them off entirely. Tap the CC button or the three-dot menu and look for a language option. YouTube TV will show you which languages are available for that video or channel.

Captions on recorded shows versus live TV

Recorded shows and on-demand content usually let you turn captions on or off freely. Live TV broadcasts often have captions that cannot be disabled, especially news, emergency alerts, and public affairs programming. This is because the Federal Communications Commission requires captions on most live broadcasts.

If you are recording a live show through YouTube TV's DVR feature, you will be able to turn captions off when you play back the recording later, even if you could not turn them off during the live broadcast. The recording stores the caption data separately, and your player controls work the same way as they do for on-demand content.

Troubleshooting when the CC button does not work

If you click the CC button and nothing happens, try refreshing the page or restarting the YouTube TV app. Close the app completely and open it again. On a computer, press Ctrl+R (Windows) or Command+R (Mac) to refresh the page.

Check that your internet connection is stable. A slow or interrupted connection can prevent captions from loading or responding to your clicks. If captions are stuck on and the CC button will not respond, try clearing your browser cache or reinstalling the YouTube TV app on your device.

If the problem persists, sign out of your YouTube account, wait 30 seconds, and sign back in. This clears temporary settings that may be causing the button to malfunction. If captions still will not turn off after these steps, the issue may be with that specific video or channel, and you can try watching something else to confirm the CC button works elsewhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn off captions for just one show or channel?

No. The CC button turns captions off for whatever you are watching at that moment, but the setting does not carry over to the next video or channel. Each time you start watching something new, you will need to click the CC button again if you want captions off. If you want a permanent default, change it in your account settings.

Why are captions in the wrong language?

YouTube TV defaults to captions in the language of your account or device settings. Tap the CC button or the three-dot menu and look for a language option. You can usually choose from several languages if they are available for that content. If the language you want is not listed, that content may not have captions in that language.

Do I have to turn off captions on every device separately?

If you change your account default in settings, captions will stay off across all devices where you are signed in. However, if you only click the CC button during one viewing session, that change applies only to that device and that session. The next time you use a different device or restart the app, captions may be back on.

Can I turn off captions for live news or emergency broadcasts?

No. Most live news, emergency alerts, and public affairs programming are required by law to have captions that viewers cannot disable. The CC button will be grayed out or missing for these broadcasts. You can turn off captions for recorded versions of the same content if you watch them later through the DVR or on-demand library.

What if captions are stuck on and I cannot click the CC button?

Refresh the page or restart the app. If that does not work, sign out of your account, wait a minute, and sign back in. Clear your browser cache if you are using YouTube TV on a computer. If the CC button still does not respond, try watching a different video to see if the button works there. The problem may be specific to that video or channel.