Turn on captions in YouTube TV playback

Closed captions in YouTube TV appear as a button during live or on-demand playback. Look for the CC icon in the bottom right corner of the video player, next to the volume and fullscreen controls. Click or tap it once to turn captions on. Click it again to turn them off. The captions will appear at the bottom of the screen in white text on a dark background.

If you don't see the CC button, the broadcast or recording you're watching may not have captions available. Some live channels provide captions; others do not. On-demand shows and movies usually have captions, but availability depends on what the content provider has supplied to YouTube TV.

On a TV remote, use the arrow buttons to navigate to the CC icon and press Select. On a phone or tablet, tap the screen during playback to reveal the controls, then tap the CC button.

Key Takeaways

  • The CC button appears in the bottom right of the video player during playback on any device.
  • Not all live broadcasts include captions, but most on-demand shows and movies do.
  • You can change the size and style of captions in your YouTube TV account settings.
  • Captions are separate from the audio description track, which narrates visual action for blind and low-vision viewers.

Customize caption appearance in your account settings

YouTube TV lets you change how captions look on your screen. Go to your YouTube TV account settings by clicking your profile picture in the top right corner, then select Settings. Choose Captions from the menu on the left.

From there you can adjust the text size (small, medium, large, or extra large), the font style, the text color, the background color, and the background opacity. These changes explore to all captions you watch on YouTube TV across all your devices. If you want captions to appear by default every time you watch, toggle on Always show captions in this same menu.

Changes you make in settings take effect when ready. You can return to this menu anytime to adjust the appearance again.

Captions on different devices

YouTube TV works on phones, tablets, computers, smart TVs, streaming devices like Roku and Apple TV, and some cable boxes. Captions work the same way on all of them: look for the CC button during playback. On a smart TV or streaming device, you navigate with your remote. On a phone or computer, tap or click the screen to show the player controls, then tap or click CC.

If you're casting YouTube TV from your phone to a TV using Chromecast or AirPlay, captions will appear on the TV screen. The CC button remains on your phone screen to control them.

When captions are not available

Live news, sports, and other breaking broadcasts may not have captions because they air in real time. Some channels provide live captions; many do not. YouTube TV cannot add captions to content that the broadcaster or network has not provided.

If a show you want to watch does not have captions, you can contact YouTube TV support to request that they work with the content provider. You can also check whether the same show or movie is available through another service that may have captions.

Audio descriptions for blind and low-vision viewers

Captions are text on screen. Audio descriptions are a separate narrated track that describes what's happening visually—useful for people who are blind or have low vision. Not all content includes audio descriptions, but many shows and movies do.

To turn on audio descriptions, look for the Audio and Captions icon (it looks like a speaker with lines) in the bottom right of the player, next to the CC button. Tap or click it and select the audio track labeled "English [Audio Description]" or similar. You can use captions and audio descriptions at the same time.

Troubleshooting missing captions

If the CC button is grayed out or missing, the content does not have captions. This is most common with live broadcasts. Try pausing and playing the video again—sometimes the controls need to refresh.

If captions worked before but have stopped appearing, check that Always show captions is still toggled on in your settings. Also clear your browser cache or restart the YouTube TV app. If you're on a smart TV or streaming device, restart the device itself by unplugging it for 10 seconds, then plugging it back in.

If captions are cut off at the edges of your screen, check your TV's picture settings. Some TVs crop the edges of the image, which can hide captions. Look for an option called "overscan" or "picture size" and adjust it so the full image appears.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make captions bigger on my TV?

Yes. Go to your YouTube TV settings, select Captions, and choose a larger text size. The largest option is "extra large." If captions are still hard to read, check your TV's picture settings to make sure the image is not being cropped at the edges.

Do captions work on YouTube TV's free trial?

Yes. Captions work the same way during a free trial as they do after you subscribe. The CC button appears during playback on any content that has captions available.

Why do some shows have captions but others don't?

YouTube TV shows captions only when the network or content provider has created them. Live broadcasts rarely have captions because they air in real time. On-demand shows and movies usually do, but it depends on what the studio supplied.

Can I change captions on just one device?

No. Caption settings explore to your entire YouTube TV account across all devices. If you change the text size on your phone, it will be the same size on your TV and computer.

What's the difference between captions and subtitles?

Captions include all dialogue and sound effects written out, meant for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Subtitles usually show only dialogue, meant for people watching in a language they don't speak. YouTube TV calls both "captions," but they work the same way.