Turn off captions in three steps

Open YouTube TV and start playing any video or live channel. Look for the settings icon — a gear symbol — in the bottom right corner of the video player. Click it, then select Captions from the menu. Choose Off to disable captions when ready.

The captions will stay off for that video. If you want captions off by default for all videos you watch, you can change your account settings so YouTube TV remembers your preference. This saves you from turning them off every single time.

Key Takeaways

  • The settings gear icon in the bottom right of the video player is where you control captions on any video or channel.
  • Clicking Captions and selecting Off will disable them for that viewing session.
  • You can set captions to stay off by default in your YouTube account settings under Playback Settings.
  • Different videos may have different caption options available — some offer multiple languages, others offer none.
  • Turning captions off on one device does not affect other devices signed into your account.

Set captions to off by default in your account

If you want captions off every time you watch, change your account settings instead of turning them off manually each time. Go to your YouTube account by clicking your profile picture in the top right corner of any YouTube page. Select Settings from the dropdown menu.

Click Playback and performance on the left side. Under the Captions section, you will see a dropdown menu. Select Off to make captions stay off across all videos and channels by default. This setting applies to YouTube TV and regular YouTube on the same account.

Captions options beyond on and off

YouTube TV gives you more control than just turning captions completely on or off. When you click the Captions option in the settings menu, you may see choices like English, Spanish, French, or other languages — depending on what the video or channel offers. You can pick a specific language instead of the auto-generated default.

Some videos have no captions at all, either because they were never created or because the broadcaster did not provide them. In those cases, the Captions option will be grayed out or show no available options. Live channels sometimes generate captions in real time, though the accuracy varies.

Why captions might reappear after you turn them off

If captions keep coming back even after you turn them off, check whether you changed your account default setting or just the video setting. Turning captions off in the player only affects that one video — the next video you watch will use whatever your account default is set to. If your account default is still On, captions will appear on the next video.

Another reason captions might reappear is if you are signed into multiple YouTube accounts on different devices. Each account has its own settings. If you watch on a phone signed into one account and a TV signed into another, the settings will be different for each.

Captions on live channels versus recorded content

Live channels on YouTube TV sometimes handle captions differently than recorded videos. Some live broadcasts display captions in real time, generated by the broadcaster or by YouTube's automatic system. The quality of live captions varies — they may lag behind the audio or miss words, especially during fast-paced content.

Recorded shows and movies usually have captions that were created ahead of time, so they are more accurate. You can turn off captions for live channels the same way you do for recorded content — through the settings gear icon. Your choice applies only to that channel or video.

Troubleshooting captions that won't turn off

If the Captions option is not appearing in your player menu, refresh the page or close and reopen YouTube TV. Sometimes the player needs to reload to show all options. If you are using an older browser or an outdated app, update it — older versions sometimes have bugs with caption controls.

On smart TVs and streaming devices, the process is the same but the button locations may look slightly different. Look for a settings or gear icon while a video is playing. If your device does not show caption controls in the player, check whether your TV or device itself has caption settings — some devices override the YouTube TV app settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do captions turn off on all my devices if I change my account settings?

Yes. When you set captions to off in your YouTube account settings, that preference applies to YouTube TV and regular YouTube on any device you sign into with that account. However, if someone else uses your TV or device with a different account, their settings will be separate.

Can I turn off captions for just one channel and keep them on for others?

No. Your account setting applies to everything you watch. You can only turn captions off for individual videos in the moment by using the player settings. If you want captions off for one channel but on for others, you would need to turn them on and off manually as you switch channels.

Why does a video show no caption options at all?

The video or channel does not have captions available. Some broadcasters do not provide captions, and YouTube TV cannot generate them if the broadcaster did not include them. Live channels are more likely to lack captions than recorded shows.

Will turning off captions affect the closed captioning on my TV itself?

No. YouTube TV captions are separate from your television's built-in closed captioning system. Turning off captions in YouTube TV only affects the YouTube app. If your TV has its own caption settings, those work independently.

Can I turn off captions just for one person in my household?

Only if that person has their own YouTube account. Each account has separate caption settings. If multiple people share one account, you cannot set different preferences for each person — whoever changes the setting last will determine what everyone sees.