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 (two overlapping rectangles). Click it once to toggle captions off. The icon will dim or disappear, and the text will vanish from your screen. Click the same icon again to turn captions back on.

If you do not see the CC icon, move your mouse or tap the screen to reveal the player controls. The icon appears only when controls are visible. On mobile devices, tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right of the player, then select "Captions" to turn them on or off.

This method works for both live TV and recorded shows. The setting applies only to the video you are watching — YouTube TV does not save a permanent "captions off" preference across all content, so you will need to toggle captions for each program if you want them off every time.

Key Takeaways

  • The CC icon in the bottom right corner of the player turns captions on and off with a single click.
  • On mobile, tap the three-dot menu and select "Captions" instead of looking for the CC icon.
  • YouTube TV does not remember your caption preference between videos, so you must turn them off each time you watch something new.
  • If captions are burned into the video itself (part of the actual image), the CC button will not remove them — only captions added by YouTube TV will disappear.

Why captions appear by default on YouTube TV

YouTube TV turns captions on automatically for many live channels and on-demand shows, especially news, sports, and talk programs. This is a platform-wide setting, not something your account controls. The captions are usually provided by the broadcaster or YouTube's automatic speech recognition, which means they may not always be perfectly accurate.

Some channels and shows have captions available in multiple languages. If you see captions in a language you do not speak, the CC button will let you cycle through available options or turn them off entirely. The language options appear when you click the CC icon and hold it for a moment, or when you access captions through the three-dot menu.

Captions that the CC button cannot remove

Some videos have captions that are part of the video file itself — burned into the image during production. These are not removable through the CC button because they are not separate captions added by YouTube TV. You will see them even if you turn off the CC feature.

If you encounter burned-in captions and they are blocking important content, your only option is to report the video to YouTube or contact the channel directly. YouTube TV's caption controls work only on captions that YouTube TV itself is displaying, not on text that is already part of the video.

Turning captions off on different devices

On a computer or web browser: Click the CC icon in the bottom right corner of the player. It will turn gray or disappear when captions are off.

On a phone or tablet: Tap the three-dot menu icon (⋮) in the top right corner of the video player, then tap "Captions" to toggle them on or off. Some devices also show a CC icon directly on the player — if you see it, you can click it the same way you would on a computer.

On a TV or streaming device (Roku, Apple TV, Fire Stick, Chromecast): Use your remote to navigate to the CC icon or open the player menu and look for a "Captions" or "Subtitles" option. The exact steps vary by device, but the CC button or menu option will be in the same location as on other platforms.

If captions stay on even after you turn them off

If the CC button does not seem to work, try refreshing the page or closing and reopening the YouTube TV app. Sometimes the player needs to reload to register your choice. On mobile, force-close the app completely and open it again.

If captions still appear after you have turned them off, check whether they are burned into the video itself (see the section above). If the CC button is working but captions reappear on the next video, remember that YouTube TV does not save your preference — you will need to turn them off for each new show or channel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn off captions for all YouTube TV shows at once?

No. YouTube TV does not have a global "captions off" setting that applies to everything you watch. You must turn captions off individually for each video or channel. If you watch the same show regularly, you will need to toggle captions off each time you start a new episode.

Why do captions sometimes appear in the wrong language?

YouTube TV pulls captions from the broadcaster or generates them automatically using speech recognition. If the wrong language is selected, click the CC icon and look for a language menu. You can choose a different language or turn captions off entirely. Some channels offer captions in only one language.

Do captions work on live TV the same way as recorded shows?

Yes. The CC button works the same way for live broadcasts and on-demand content. Live captions may be slightly delayed because they are generated in real time, and they may contain errors if the speech recognition system misunderstands the speaker.

What if the CC button is not showing up on my screen?

Move your mouse or tap the screen to reveal the player controls. The CC icon and other buttons appear only when the player is active. If you still do not see it, try refreshing the page or restarting the app. On some devices, the caption option may be in the three-dot menu instead of visible as an icon.

Can I change the size or color of the captions?

YouTube TV does not offer built-in caption styling options like size or color changes. Your device's accessibility settings may allow you to adjust how captions appear — check your phone, computer, or TV settings under "Accessibility" or "Display". Some streaming devices also have caption customization in their system settings.