Turn off captions in three steps on any device
To turn off closed captions on YouTube TV, open the video you are watching, look for the CC icon in the bottom right corner of the player, and click it once. The icon will turn gray, and captions will disappear from the screen. On a remote control, you can also press the CC button if your remote has one — most YouTube TV remotes do.
The process is the same whether you are watching on a phone, tablet, computer, or TV. Captions stay off for that video only. If you start a different video or come back to YouTube TV later, captions will return to whatever your account default is set to.
If you want captions off by default for all videos you watch, you can change your account settings instead of turning them off one video at a time. This saves you a step every time you start something new.
Key Takeaways
- The CC button in the bottom right corner of the video player turns captions on and off for the current video only.
- On a TV remote, press the CC button directly if your remote has one — most YouTube TV remotes include this button.
- Turning off captions for one video does not change your default setting, so captions will be on again the next time you watch something.
- To keep captions off across all videos, change your account settings in the YouTube TV app or website instead of clicking CC each time.
How to find the CC button on your remote
Most YouTube TV remotes have a dedicated CC button near the playback controls. Look for it on the lower half of the remote, usually near the pause and play buttons. Press it once to toggle captions off, and press it again to turn them back on.
If your remote does not have a CC button, you can still use the on-screen player. Use the arrow buttons on your remote to navigate to the CC icon in the bottom right corner of the video, then press the center select button to toggle captions.
Some older or third-party remotes may not include a CC button. In that case, the on-screen method is your only option, but it works just as well.
Turn off captions by default in your account settings
If you never want captions on, you can disable them in your YouTube TV account settings so they stay off across all videos. On a computer or phone, go to your YouTube TV home page, click your profile picture in the top right corner, and select Settings.
Look for the Captions option in the settings menu. Click or tap it and choose Off. From that point forward, captions will not appear on any video unless you manually turn them on using the CC button.
This setting applies to your account across all devices. If someone else uses your YouTube TV account on a different device, they will also see captions off by default unless they change the setting themselves.
Captions stay off only for the current video
When you click the CC button to turn off captions during a video, that setting applies only to that one video. Once you finish watching and start a new video, captions will return to your default setting.
If your default is captions on, you will need to click CC again to turn them off. If your default is captions off, the new video will start with captions already off. This is why changing your account default is useful if you rarely want captions.
What to do if captions are stuck on
If the CC button is not responding or captions will not turn off, try refreshing the page or closing and reopening the YouTube TV app. Sometimes the player needs to reload to register the button press.
If captions are still stuck on after refreshing, check your account settings to see if captions are forced on by an accessibility setting. Some devices or accounts have captions locked on for accessibility reasons. You may need to go into your device settings or YouTube TV settings to unlock this.
If you are using a TV and the CC button on your remote is not working, try using the on-screen player controls instead. The remote button and the on-screen button control the same setting, so one method should work if the other does not.
Captions in different languages and styles
When captions are on, you can change the language or style by clicking the CC icon and selecting Options. YouTube TV offers captions in multiple languages if the video has them available. You can also adjust the text size, background color, and font to make captions easier to read.
These options do not appear until you click CC and then look for a settings or options menu near the caption controls. The exact menu location depends on which device you are using, but the process is similar across phones, computers, and TVs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to turn off captions every time I watch a video?
Only if your account default is captions on. If you change your account settings to captions off, they will stay off for all videos unless you manually turn them on. If you leave your default as captions on, you will need to click CC each time you want them off for a specific video.
Will turning off captions affect other people watching my account?
Turning off captions for one video affects only that video and only your viewing session. If someone else logs into your account on a different device, they will see your account default setting, not the setting you just changed. If you want captions off for everyone on your account, change the default in account settings.
Can I turn off captions on live TV channels?
Yes. The CC button works the same way on live channels as it does on recorded shows and movies. Press CC or click the CC icon to toggle captions off. The setting applies only to that channel at that moment.
What if my device does not show a CC button?
Some devices or browsers may not display the CC button visibly. Try clicking in the bottom right corner of the video player where the button should be, or use your remote's CC button if you have one. If neither works, try a different browser or device.
Can I schedule captions to turn off at a certain time?
No. YouTube TV does not have a scheduling feature for captions. You must turn them on or off manually each time, or change your account default setting to control them across all videos at once.