Turn off captions in three taps on any device
Closed captions on YouTube TV turn off the same way across phones, tablets, and computers: tap or click the settings icon during playback, find the caption option, and select "Off." The icon looks like a gear or three dots, depending on your device. Once you turn captions off for one show, they stay off until you turn them back on — YouTube TV does not remember a per-show preference, so the setting applies to everything you watch going forward.
If you are watching on a TV connected to the YouTube TV app, the steps are slightly different because you navigate with a remote instead of a touchscreen, but the menu structure is the same. The process takes about five seconds once you know where to look.
Key Takeaways
- Captions turn off through the settings menu during playback, which you reach by tapping the gear icon or three-dot menu on your screen or remote.
- The caption setting applies to all content you watch, not individual shows, so turning captions off affects everything until you turn them back on.
- On phones and tablets, the caption toggle appears in a pop-up menu; on computers, it is in the player controls at the bottom right.
- If captions are stuck on or the toggle does not appear, clearing your browser cache or reinstalling the app often fixes the problem.
Steps to turn off captions on phones and tablets
Open YouTube TV and start playing any show or live channel. While the video is playing, tap anywhere on the screen to bring up the playback controls — you will see a row of buttons at the bottom.
Look for the settings icon, which appears as a gear symbol in the bottom right corner of the screen. Tap it. A menu will pop up with several options, including "Captions." Tap "Captions," and you will see a list: "On," "Off," and sometimes language options if captions are available in multiple languages. Select "Off." The captions will disappear when ready, and the menu will close.
Steps to turn off captions on a computer or web browser
Play any show or live channel in YouTube TV through your web browser. Move your mouse to the bottom right corner of the video player — the controls will appear if they are hidden. You will see a settings icon that looks like a gear.
Click the gear icon. A dropdown menu opens. Look for "Captions" in the list and click it. Select "Off" from the submenu. The captions will turn off right away. If you do not see a "Captions" option in the menu, the content you are watching does not have captions available, or captions are already off.
Steps to turn off captions on a TV with the YouTube TV app
Start playing a show or live channel on your TV. Use your remote to navigate to the settings menu — on most TV remotes, this is a button labeled "Menu," "Options," or a gear icon. Press it while the video is playing.
Use the arrow buttons on your remote to highlight "Captions" or "CC" in the menu. Press the center button or "Select" to open the caption options. Choose "Off" and press Select again. The captions will disappear from your screen.
What to do if captions won't turn off
If you tap the settings icon and do not see a captions option, or if captions stay on even after you select "Off," the problem is usually a cache issue or a temporary app glitch. On a phone or tablet, close the YouTube TV app completely — swipe it away from your recent apps list, not just pressing the back button. Wait a few seconds, then reopen the app and try again.
On a computer, try clearing your browser cache. In Chrome, press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (or Cmd+Shift+Delete on Mac), select "All time" for the time range, check "Cookies and other site data," and click "Clear data." Then refresh YouTube TV and try turning off captions again. If the problem persists, sign out of YouTube TV, close your browser completely, and sign back in.
If you are using the YouTube TV app on a TV and captions are stuck on, restart the app by closing it and reopening it. If that does not work, restart your TV or streaming device entirely — unplug it for 10 seconds, plug it back in, and wait for it to fully load before opening YouTube TV again.
Why YouTube TV shows captions automatically sometimes
YouTube TV turns on captions automatically in certain situations: if you are in a noisy environment and the app detects low volume, if your device's accessibility settings have captions enabled system-wide, or if the previous person to use your account left captions on. The app does not have a "remember my preference" setting, so captions default to whatever state they were in the last time someone watched.
If captions keep turning back on by themselves, check your device's accessibility settings. On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles & Captioning and make sure "Closed Captions + SDH" is toggled off. On Android, go to Settings > Accessibility > Captions and turn off "Use captions." On a computer, check your browser's accessibility settings or any extensions that might be forcing captions on.
Turning captions back on when you need them
If you turn captions off and later want them back on, follow the same steps: tap or click the settings icon during playback, select "Captions," and choose "On." You can also select a specific language if multiple caption tracks are available for that show. The process is identical to turning them off — just select "On" instead of "Off."
Not all content on YouTube TV has captions. Live channels, local broadcasts, and some older shows may not offer them. If you select "Captions" and see only "Off" as an option, or if the menu item does not appear at all, captions are not available for that particular program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do captions turn off for just one show or for everything I watch?
Captions turn off for everything. YouTube TV does not let you turn captions off for one show and keep them on for another. Once you select "Off," captions stay off across all content until you manually turn them back on.
Why do captions sometimes appear in a different language?
If captions are available in multiple languages, YouTube TV may default to a language based on your account settings or device language. Open the captions menu and select the language you want, or select "Off" if you do not want captions at all. You can change this any time during playback.
Can I turn off captions for live TV but keep them on for recorded shows?
No. The caption setting applies to everything you watch on YouTube TV. If you need captions for some content and not others, you will have to toggle them on and off manually each time you switch between programs.
What if the settings icon does not show up on my screen?
Make sure the video is actually playing — the controls only appear when a video is running. Tap or click the screen to bring up the controls if they are hidden. If the icon still does not appear, try closing and reopening the app, or restart your device.
Do I need to turn off captions on each device separately?
Yes. YouTube TV stores the caption setting separately for each device you use. If you turn captions off on your phone, they may still be on when you watch on your TV or computer. You will need to turn them off on each device individually.