Disable Closed Captioning in Three Steps

To turn off closed captioning on YouTube TV, open the video you are watching, select the three-dot menu icon in the bottom right corner, and choose Captions from the dropdown. Then select Off. The captions will disappear when ready and stay off for that video. If you want captions off for all videos going forward, you can change your account default in settings instead of turning them off each time.

The exact location of the menu button depends on whether you are watching on a computer, phone, tablet, or TV device. On all platforms, the three-dot menu appears when you hover over or tap the video player. On a TV remote, you may need to press a button to reveal the player controls first.

Key Takeaways

  • The three-dot menu in the bottom right of the video player holds the captions control on all devices.
  • Turning captions off in the player menu affects only that single video, not your account.
  • To disable captions by default across all videos, change your account settings in the YouTube TV app or website.
  • On TV devices, you may need to press a button on your remote to make the player controls visible before you can access the menu.

Turn Off Captions for One Video at a Time

When you are watching a video and want captions off just for that moment, use the player menu. Locate the three-dot icon (sometimes called the "more" menu) in the bottom right corner of the video player. On a computer or phone, this appears when you move your mouse over the player or tap the screen. On a TV, press the menu or options button on your remote to reveal the controls.

Once the menu is visible, tap or click the three-dot icon. A list of options will appear. Look for Captions or Subtitles in that list. Select it, and you will see a submenu with caption options. Choose Off to disable captions for that video. The text will disappear from the screen right away.

This method turns captions off only for the video you are currently watching. When you start a new video, captions will return to whatever your default setting is. If you find yourself turning captions off repeatedly, changing your account default is faster.

Change Your Default Caption Setting in Account Settings

To disable captions across all videos without turning them off one at a time, adjust your YouTube TV account settings. On a computer or phone, sign into your YouTube TV account and look for the profile icon in the top right corner. Click or tap it, then select Settings.

In the Settings menu, find the Captions section. This is usually under a heading like "Playback" or "Video preferences." Select Off as your default. Save your changes. From that point forward, captions will be off by default when you start any video, though you can still turn them on for individual videos if you need them.

The exact path through settings can vary slightly depending on whether you are using the YouTube TV website, the mobile app, or a TV device app. If you cannot find the captions setting, search the settings menu for the word "captions" — most apps have a search function that will take you directly there.

Captions on Different Devices

YouTube TV works on computers, phones, tablets, and TV devices like Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, and Chromecast. The steps to turn off captions are similar across all of them, but the controls look slightly different on each.

On a phone or tablet, tap the video to reveal the player controls, then tap the three-dot menu in the bottom right. On a computer, move your mouse over the video to show the controls, then click the three-dot menu. On a TV device, press the menu or options button on your remote to reveal the player controls, then navigate to the three-dot menu using your remote's arrow buttons. The captions option will be in the same place on all platforms.

If you are using a TV device and the controls disappear before you can reach the menu, press the menu button again to bring them back. Some remotes require you to hold the button for a moment rather than just tapping it.

What to Do If Captions Are Stuck On

Occasionally captions may remain on even after you select Off, or they may turn back on unexpectedly. This usually happens because your account default is set to On, so the video reverts to that setting after a few seconds.

The fix is to change your account default to Off in settings, as described in the section above. Once you do that, captions will stay off unless you manually turn them on. If captions still appear after you change the default, try signing out of YouTube TV completely and signing back in. This refreshes your account settings on that device.

If the problem continues on a TV device, try uninstalling and reinstalling the YouTube TV app. On a computer or phone, clearing your browser cache or app cache can also resolve caption settings that do not stick.

Why Captions Might Be On by Default

YouTube TV turns captions on by default for some users based on their account settings or device accessibility preferences. If you have never changed your caption setting, the app may have inherited a default from your YouTube account or your device's accessibility settings.

Some TV devices also enable captions automatically if they detect that audio is muted or very quiet. Check whether your TV or device has a separate accessibility setting for captions that is overriding your YouTube TV preference. On most TV devices, this is found in the device settings, not in the YouTube TV app itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

No. Caption settings are tied to the device you are using, not the account. If someone else watches YouTube TV on a different device or browser, their caption setting will be separate from yours. If they watch on the same device, they will see your default setting unless they change it themselves.

Can I turn off captions for just one channel?

No. YouTube TV does not have a per-channel caption setting. You can only turn captions off for individual videos as you watch them, or change your account default for all videos. The setting applies to everything you watch on that account or device.

What if a video does not have captions available?

Some videos do not have captions at all, either because they were not provided by the broadcaster or because they have not been generated yet. If captions are not available, the captions option in the menu will be grayed out or will not appear. You cannot turn on captions for a video that does not have them.

Do I need to turn off captions every time I watch a new show?

Only if your account default is set to On. If you change your default to Off in settings, captions will be off automatically for every video you watch. You will only need to turn them on manually if you want them for a specific video.

Why are captions in a different language than the video?

YouTube TV sometimes defaults to captions in a language other than the video's audio language. This usually happens if your account language setting does not match the video's language. Check your account language in settings and change it if needed. You can also select a different caption language from the captions menu while watching.