Turn off closed captions in three steps

To remove closed captions from your YouTube TV broadcast, press the CC button on your remote or select the CC icon during playback, then choose Off from the menu. The captions will disappear when ready. If you do not see a CC button on your remote, you can access the same setting through the on-screen player menu by pressing the options or menu button while a show is playing.

The method you use depends on which device you are watching on—a TV remote works differently than a phone or computer keyboard—but the principle is the same across all platforms. YouTube TV remembers your caption preference for future viewing, so you typically only need to turn them off once per device.

Key Takeaways

  • The CC button on most TV remotes toggles captions on and off when ready during live or recorded playback.
  • If your remote has no CC button, open the on-screen menu during playback and look for a caption or subtitle option.
  • YouTube TV saves your caption setting per device, so turning captions off on your living room TV does not affect your phone or tablet.
  • Some shows or channels may have captions burned into the video itself, which cannot be removed through the player settings.

Using the CC button on your TV remote

Most modern TV remotes sold with or compatible with YouTube TV have a dedicated CC button labeled with those two letters. This is the fastest way to toggle captions. Press it once to turn captions on if they are off, or press it again to turn them off. You will see the change happen on screen within a second or two.

If you have a Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, or Google TV device connected to your television, the remote that came with that device usually has the CC button. Samsung and LG smart TVs often include it as well. Check the remote in your hand first—if you see CC printed on a button, that is your quickest route.

Finding captions in the on-screen menu

If your remote does not have a CC button, you can access captions through the player menu. While a show is playing, press the Menu, Options, or Settings button on your remote—the exact name varies by device. A menu will appear on screen with several choices.

Look for an option labeled Captions, Subtitles, or CC. Select it, and you will see a list of choices: usually Off, On, and sometimes specific language options. Choose Off to disable captions. The menu will close and captions will no longer appear.

Turning off captions on phones and tablets

On a phone or tablet running the YouTube TV app, open a show or live channel and tap the screen to reveal the player controls. Look for three vertical dots (the menu icon) in the upper right corner of the video player and tap it. A dropdown menu will appear with several options.

Tap Captions or Subtitles—the exact wording depends on your device and app version. You will see a list of caption options. Select Off to disable them. The captions will disappear from the video when ready, and this setting will carry over to future videos you watch on that same phone or tablet.

Turning off captions on computers and web browsers

When watching YouTube TV in a web browser on a computer, start playing a show or live channel. Hover your mouse over the video player to reveal the playback controls at the bottom. On the right side of the control bar, you will see a CC icon—it looks like a rectangle with two C's inside it.

Click the CC icon once to toggle captions off. If you do not see the CC icon, click the Settings gear icon at the far right of the control bar, then select Captions and choose Off. The captions will turn off for that video and remain off for future videos on that browser.

Why captions might not disappear

In rare cases, captions will remain visible even after you have turned them off through the player. This usually means the captions are burned into the video itself—they were added during filming or editing and are part of the actual image, not an overlay the player controls. You cannot remove burned-in captions through any YouTube TV setting.

This is most common on older reruns, foreign films, or clips uploaded by content creators rather than official broadcasters. If you encounter this, the captions are permanent for that particular video. Switching to a different episode or show will likely show you the normal caption controls working as expected.

Captions turn back on automatically—how to stop it

If captions keep turning back on even after you turn them off, your YouTube TV account may have captions set to always on in your account settings. This overrides the per-device setting. To change it, open YouTube TV on any device and go to your account menu (usually your profile picture in the top right corner).

Select Settings, then look for Captions or Accessibility options. You should see a toggle or dropdown for caption defaults. Set it to Off or Auto rather than Always On. Save your changes. From that point forward, captions will stay off unless you manually turn them back on.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Yes. YouTube TV stores your caption preference for each device you watch on. If you turn captions off on your living room TV, they will still be on when you watch on your phone or computer. You need to turn them off individually on each device where you want them disabled.

What if the CC button on my remote does not work?

Try using the on-screen menu instead by pressing Menu or Options during playback. If neither method works, your remote may need new batteries or could be malfunctioning. You can also use the YouTube TV app on a phone or the web player on a computer as a workaround while you troubleshoot the remote.

Can I change the size or color of captions instead of turning them off?

Yes. In the captions menu on most devices, you will see options beyond just On and Off. Look for Caption Settings or Advanced to adjust text size, background color, font, and transparency. These options vary by device, but most platforms offer at least basic customization.

Why do some channels have captions and others do not?

Not all live broadcasts or recorded shows include captions. Networks and content creators decide whether to provide them. If a show has no captions available, the CC button will be grayed out or the captions menu will show no options. This is a limitation of the content itself, not a YouTube TV setting.

Will turning off captions affect other people watching on the same TV?

No, but only if you are logged into your own YouTube TV account. If multiple people share one account, they will all see the same caption setting. If each person has their own account on the same TV, each account stores its own caption preference separately.