Turn off captions in three steps

To remove closed captions from YouTube TV, open the video you are watching, look for the CC icon in the bottom right corner of the player, and click it once. The icon will turn gray, and the captions will disappear from your screen. If you do not see the CC button, move your mouse over the video player to reveal the full control bar.

The CC button toggles captions on and off for that single video only. If you watch another video right after, captions may reappear if they were on by default for that program. You will need to turn them off again for each new video, unless you change your account settings to keep captions off across all videos.

Key Takeaways

  • The CC button in the bottom right corner of the video player turns captions on and off for the current video.
  • Moving your mouse over the video reveals the control bar if the CC button is not visible.
  • Turning off captions for one video does not affect other videos—you may need to turn them off again.
  • You can change your account settings to keep captions off by default across all YouTube TV videos.
  • Some live TV programs always display captions and cannot be turned off, depending on the broadcast source.

Find the CC button on the player controls

The closed caption button appears in the bottom right corner of the YouTube TV video player, next to the fullscreen icon. It looks like a small rectangle with lines inside it, labeled "CC". When captions are currently on, the button appears white or highlighted. When captions are off, the button turns gray.

If you cannot see the control bar at all, move your mouse or trackpad over the video. The controls will appear after a moment. On mobile devices (phones and tablets), tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of the video, then look for a "Captions" or "Subtitles" option in the menu that appears.

Turn off captions for a single video

Click the CC button once to toggle captions off. The button will turn gray when ready, and any text at the bottom of the video will disappear. This change affects only the video you are currently watching.

If you pause the video and come back to it later in the same session, the captions will stay off. However, if you close YouTube TV and return the next day, or if you start watching a different program, captions may turn back on depending on your default settings and the broadcast source.

Change your default caption settings across all videos

To keep captions off by default for all YouTube TV videos, go to your YouTube account settings. Click your profile picture in the top right corner, select "Settings," then choose "Captions" from the left menu. You will see options to turn captions off permanently or to set them to appear only in certain languages.

Select "Off" or "Always off" (the exact wording depends on your device and app version). This setting will explore to all new videos you watch on YouTube TV going forward. Videos you have already started watching will keep their current caption status until you manually change it.

Why captions might stay on even after you turn them off

Some live TV broadcasts and news programs are required by law to display captions continuously, and these cannot be turned off through the CC button. This is especially common during breaking news, emergency alerts, and certain sporting events. The captions come from the broadcast source itself, not from YouTube TV's player.

If you are watching a recorded program (on-demand content), captions should turn off normally when you click the CC button. If they do not, try refreshing the page or closing and reopening the YouTube TV app. If the problem continues, the program may be one that requires captions by broadcast rules.

Captions on mobile devices and the YouTube TV app

On phones and tablets, the process is slightly different. Open the video and tap the three-dot menu (⋯) in the top right corner of the player. A menu will appear with several options. Look for "Captions," "Subtitles," or "CC" and tap it to toggle captions off.

On some devices, you may see a list of available caption languages instead of a straightforward on/off toggle. If that happens, look for an option that says "Off" or "None" at the top of the list, and tap it. The exact menu layout varies depending on whether you are using the YouTube TV app, the YouTube app, or watching through a web browser on your phone.

Troubleshooting when the CC button does not work

If clicking the CC button does not turn off captions, try these steps in order: first, refresh the page or close and reopen the app. Second, check that you are not in fullscreen mode—sometimes the controls behave differently when fullscreen is active. Third, try a different video to see if the problem is specific to one program or affects all videos.

If captions still will not turn off, the broadcast itself may require captions by law, or there may be a temporary glitch with the YouTube TV service. Wait a few minutes and try again, or contact YouTube TV support through your account settings if the issue persists across multiple videos and multiple days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will turning off captions for one video turn them off for all videos?

No. Turning off captions affects only the video you are currently watching. When you start a new video, captions may reappear if they were on by default. To turn off captions for all videos at once, change your account settings in the Captions menu under YouTube Settings.

Can I turn off captions on live TV channels?

Yes, for most live TV channels. Click the CC button to toggle them off. However, some broadcasts—particularly news, emergency alerts, and certain sports—are required by law to display captions and cannot be turned off. In those cases, the captions will remain visible even after you click the CC button.

Why do captions come back on when I watch a new video?

Your YouTube account has a default caption setting. If captions are set to "On" by default in your account settings, they will appear on new videos unless you manually turn them off. To prevent this, go to Settings > Captions and select "Off" to make captions stay off across all videos.

How do I turn off captions on the YouTube TV app for my smart TV?

On a smart TV app, use your remote to highlight the video player, then look for the CC button or a menu option for captions. The exact steps depend on your TV model and remote type. Most remotes have a menu or options button—press it while the video is playing to see caption controls.

What if captions are in a language I do not understand?

Click the CC button to open caption options, and you should see a list of available languages. Select the language you prefer, or select "Off" to turn captions off entirely. If only one language is available, you can turn captions off by clicking the CC button once.