Turn off captions in three steps

Open YouTube TV and start playing any video or live channel. Look for the three-dot menu icon in the bottom right corner of the video player—it appears when you move your mouse over the video. Click it, then select Captions from the dropdown menu. A list of caption options will appear; click Off to disable captions when ready.

The captions will turn off for that video right away. If you want to turn them off for all videos you watch on YouTube TV going forward, you can set a default in your account settings instead of turning them off each time.

Key Takeaways

  • Captions turn off by clicking the three-dot menu, selecting Captions, and choosing Off.
  • You can set captions to stay off by default in your YouTube account settings under Accessibility.
  • If the three-dot menu does not appear, move your mouse over the video player to make it visible.
  • Caption settings are tied to your YouTube account, so they carry over across devices when you sign in.

Finding the captions menu on your device

The three-dot menu appears in the bottom right corner of the video player, but only when you interact with the video. If you are using a computer, move your mouse over the video. On a phone or tablet, tap the video once. The menu should appear within a second or two.

Once the menu is visible, look for the three vertical dots (sometimes called a "more" menu). Click or tap it, and a list of options will drop down. Captions is usually near the top of this list, often marked with a "CC" icon.

Turning captions off by default in your account

If you want captions to stay off every time you watch YouTube TV, you can change your default setting. Sign into your YouTube account on any device, then click your profile picture in the top right corner. Select Settings from the menu.

In Settings, click Accessibility on the left side. You will see an option that says Always show captions or Captions. Make sure this toggle is turned Off. Once you save this setting, captions will remain off across all your devices when you are signed into that account.

Why captions might be stuck on

Sometimes captions stay on even after you turn them off. This usually happens if you have the Always show captions setting turned on in your Accessibility settings. Check your account settings using the steps above and make sure that toggle is off.

Another reason captions might reappear is if you are watching a video that has burned-in captions—captions that are part of the video itself rather than an overlay you can control. These cannot be turned off through the YouTube TV player because they are embedded in the video file. If this is the case, the captions will always be visible.

Captions on different devices

The steps to turn off captions are the same on computers, phones, and tablets, but the menu location can look slightly different. On a computer, the three-dot menu is always in the bottom right of the player. On phones and tablets, you may need to tap the video to make the player controls appear first.

If you are using a smart TV or streaming device like Roku or Apple TV, the process is similar: start a video, look for the menu button (usually marked with three dots or lines), navigate to Captions, and select Off. Your account settings will sync across all devices, so if you turn off captions by default in your account, they will stay off on your TV as well.

Turning captions back on when you need them

If you turn off captions and later want to turn them back on for a specific video, use the same three-dot menu and select Captions again. This time, choose the language or caption style you want instead of Off. Your choice will explore only to that video unless you change your default setting again.

You can also choose different caption styles if available. Some videos offer multiple caption options—English, Spanish, auto-generated, or professionally written captions. The Captions menu will show you all the options available for that particular video.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do captions keep turning back on?

Check your Accessibility settings in your YouTube account. If Always show captions is turned on, captions will reappear automatically. Turn that setting off and captions will stay off by default. Some videos also have burned-in captions that cannot be disabled.

Can I turn off captions for just one video?

Yes. Use the three-dot menu and select Captions, then choose Off. This turns off captions only for that video. Other videos will use whatever your default setting is. If you want captions off for everything, change your default in Accessibility settings instead.

Do caption settings work across all my devices?

Yes, if you are signed into the same YouTube account on all devices. Your default caption setting syncs automatically. If you turn captions off manually on one device, that change applies only to that session unless you change your account default.

What if the three-dot menu does not appear?

Move your mouse over the video (on a computer) or tap the video once (on a phone or tablet). The player controls, including the three-dot menu, should appear within a second. If they still do not show, try refreshing the page or restarting the YouTube TV app.