Quick Answer:
To remove closed captions, open the video or TV program you are watching, find the CC, Subtitles, Audio & Subtitles, or Accessibility menu, and select Off or None.f captions remain visible, check the device’s accessibility settings or the individual streaming app. Some services save subtitle preferences separately, so turning captions off on your television might not disable them in every app.
If subtitles keep appearing while you watch a movie, TV show, or online video, you probably want to know how to remove closed captions. These captions display spoken dialogue and sometimes describe important sounds, helping viewers understand a video without relying entirely on audio. However, they can become distracting when you prefer to watch without text on the screen.
The good news is that you can usually turn them off in a few steps. The exact method depends on your device, streaming service, and the type of captions appearing on your screen. You might need to change a setting on your television, switch off subtitles inside an app, or disable a phone’s accessibility feature.
This guide explains how to remove closed captions on popular TVs, streaming platforms, smartphones, computers, and other devices. It also covers what to do when captions keep returning, why some subtitles cannot be removed, and how to distinguish closed captions from permanently embedded text.
How to Remove Closed Captions on Different Devices
Start with the device you use most often. These methods cover common places where captions appear, including televisions, streaming devices, and computers.
1. Remove Closed Captions on a Samsung TV
Samsung televisions offer caption settings through their accessibility menus, although the menu names vary by model.
- Turn on your Samsung TV and press the Home button on the remote.
- Open Settings.
- Navigate to All Settings, if available, and look for General & Privacy or Accessibility.
- Select Caption Settings or a similar caption option.
- Turn Caption or Closed Captions off.
On some older models, the option may appear under Broadcasting or a separate accessibility menu.
If captions appear only inside a streaming app, open that app’s playback settings as well. The television’s caption setting might not control subtitles generated by every application.
2. Turn Off Closed Captions on an LG TV
LG TVs generally provide caption controls through their accessibility or broadcast settings.
- Press the Settings button on your LG remote.
- Open All Settings if necessary.
- Find Accessibility or the caption settings menu.
- Select Closed Captions or Subtitle settings.
- Switch the feature off.
Older LG models may place captions under the Channels or Broadcasting menu.
If you cannot find the setting, search the TV’s settings for the word caption or consult the instructions for your specific model.
3. Remove Closed Captions on a Sony TV
Sony televisions can have different menus depending on whether they run Google TV, Android TV, or another television platform.
- Open the TV’s Settings menu.
- Look for Accessibility, Captions, or Subtitle Settings.
- Open the caption preferences.
- Turn captions off or disable the relevant caption service.
If you are watching through a cable box or streaming device connected to your Sony TV, the captions might come from that external device instead. Check its settings if the television’s controls do not help.
4. Turn Off Closed Captions on a Roku TV or Roku Device
Roku lets you manage captions through its settings and, in many cases, directly from the playback controls.
- Press Home on your Roku remote.
- Open Settings.
- Select Accessibility or Captions, depending on the interface.
- Open Captions Mode.
- Select Off.
Some Roku apps provide their own subtitle controls. If captions appear only in one app, open its playback menu and switch subtitles off there too.
5. Remove Closed Captions on Amazon Fire TV
If you use a Fire TV Stick or Fire TV television, captions may be controlled by the device, the streaming app, or both.
- Open Settings on your Fire TV.
- Select Accessibility.
- Find Closed Captions.
- Turn the option off if it is enabled.
For app-specific subtitles, start playing the video and open its audio or subtitle menu. Select Off or None when available.
6. Remove Closed Captions on Apple TV
Apple TV includes accessibility controls for captions and subtitles. The playback interface may also provide a shortcut.
- Open Settings on your Apple TV.
- Select Accessibility.
- Open Subtitles and Captioning.
- Disable the relevant closed caption or subtitle option if enabled.
For an individual movie or show, start playback and open the subtitles menu. Choose Off if the content and app support it.
Changing a general preference does not necessarily override every app’s individual subtitle settings.
How to Remove Closed Captions From Streaming Apps
Sometimes captions appear on one streaming service but not another. In that situation, changing your TV’s general settings might not solve the problem. Open the playback controls inside the app and turn off its subtitle track.
7. Turn Off Closed Captions on Netflix
Netflix lets you select subtitle and caption options while watching supported content.
- Open Netflix and play a movie or TV show.
- Tap or click the screen to display the playback controls.
- Open Audio & Subtitles or the speech bubble icon.
- Under subtitles, select Off.
- Return to the video and confirm the text has disappeared.
If captions return when you start another episode, check whether the new title has its own subtitle selection. Also check whether another device or profile is using different playback preferences.
8. Remove Closed Captions on YouTube
YouTube provides a direct CC control on videos that support captions.
On a computer
- Open the YouTube video.
- Find the CC button in the player.
- Click it to turn captions off.
On a phone or tablet
- Play the video and tap the screen.
- Tap the CC icon to switch captions off.
- If necessary, open Settings, then Captions, and review your default preferences.
YouTube also offers a Show captions preference on supported mobile devices. If captions keep appearing, check whether that option is enabled. On mobile, you may also need to turn off Show when muted if you want captions to disappear when your device is muted.
9. Turn Off Captions on Amazon Prime Video
Prime Video’s playback menu may vary by device, but the basic process is similar.
- Start playing your movie or show.
- Open the playback controls.
- Select the subtitles or captions icon.
- Choose Off or the equivalent option.
- Resume playback and check the result.
If you use Prime Video through a smart TV, game console, or streaming stick, make sure you are changing the subtitle settings inside Prime Video rather than relying only on the device’s accessibility menu.
10. Remove Closed Captions on Disney+
To remove subtitles while watching Disney+, try these steps:
- Play the movie or episode.
- Open the playback controls.
- Select the audio and subtitle settings icon.
- Find the subtitles section.
- Choose Off and return to the video.
The precise location of the settings may differ between the website, mobile app, and television app.
11. Turn Off Captions in the Apple TV App
The Apple TV app provides subtitle controls during playback and accessibility preferences for supported content.
- Start playing your selected title.
- Open the playback controls.
- Select the subtitles option.
- Choose Off if it is available.
- If captions continue appearing, review the app’s accessibility settings and the device’s caption preferences.
Remember that the Apple TV app and the physical Apple TV streaming device are not the same thing. Check the settings for the one you actually use.
How to Remove Closed Captions on iPhone and Android
If captions appear across several apps, your phone’s accessibility features might be responsible. If they appear in only one app, the app’s own settings are the better place to start.
12. Turn Off Captions on an iPhone
On an iPhone, you can review the system preferences for subtitles and closed captions.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Accessibility.
- Open Subtitles & Captioning under the Hearing section.
- Check the Closed Captions + SDH setting.
- Turn it off if you no longer want supported apps to prefer those captions.
Apple explains that this preference affects whether supported apps display closed captions or subtitles for deaf and hard of hearing viewers when available. Individual apps may still provide separate playback controls.
13. Remove Captions on an Android Phone
Android phones can display subtitles through individual video apps or through system accessibility features.
- Open your phone’s Settings.
- Look for Accessibility.
- Check whether Live Caption is enabled.
- Turn it off if you do not want Android to generate captions for speech on your device.
On supported Android devices, Live Caption can be controlled through the volume controls or the accessibility settings. The precise route depends on the manufacturer and Android version.
If the text appears only in YouTube, Netflix, or another streaming app, switch captions off in that app instead. Changing Live Caption will not necessarily disable subtitles provided by a video service.
How to Remove Live Captions on Windows 11 and Mac
Captions on a computer may come from the operating system rather than the website you are viewing.
14. Turn Off Live Captions in Windows 11
Windows 11 includes a Live Captions accessibility feature that displays spoken audio as text. Microsoft provides a keyboard shortcut for this feature.
To turn it off:
- Press Windows + Ctrl + L to open the Live Captions controls.
- Locate the Live Captions window.
- Close the window or switch off the feature using its controls.
You can also open Settings, select Accessibility, and choose Captions to review the related settings.
If captions remain visible in a browser after you disable Live Captions, check the browser or video player’s own subtitle controls.
15. Remove Captions on a Mac
On a Mac, distinguish between captions provided by a video player and Live Captions generated by an accessibility feature.
- For subtitles in the Apple TV app, open the playback controls and select Off in the subtitle menu.
- For system accessibility features, open System Settings and select Accessibility.
- Review the relevant captions or Live Captions options and disable the feature that is producing the text.
Apple’s caption preferences can also control whether supported apps prefer closed captions and SDH.
Why Won’t Closed Captions Turn Off?
If you have already selected Off but the words remain on screen, identify where they are coming from before changing more settings.
Captions return in every app
Check your TV or device’s accessibility settings. Also check whether a connected cable box, streaming stick, or receiver has its own caption controls.
Captions return in one app
Change the subtitle setting inside that app. Some apps maintain their own preferences independently of the television.
Captions remain even when every setting is off
The text might be burned into the video itself. Embedded captions are part of the picture and cannot be disabled through ordinary subtitle settings.
A Simple Way to Find the Source
Try this quick test:
- Pause the current video.
- Open its subtitle settings and select Off.
- Play another video in the same app.
- If the new video has no captions, the first video might contain embedded text.
- If captions appear in every app, inspect your device’s accessibility settings.
This process helps you avoid changing unrelated settings or resetting your entire television unnecessarily.
Closed Captions vs. Subtitles: Why the Difference Matters
Closed captions and subtitles both display text on screen, but they can serve slightly different purposes.
- Closed captions generally include spoken dialogue and may describe meaningful sounds, speaker changes, or other audio information.
- Subtitles typically display spoken dialogue, often for viewers who understand the audio but prefer to read it or need another language.
- Open captions are permanently embedded in the video image and cannot be switched off using the player’s subtitle menu.
- Live Captions are generated by a device or application from audio playing in real time or near real time.
These distinctions matter when troubleshooting. If you turn off closed captions but still see words on screen, you might be looking at subtitles, automatically generated Live Captions, or text permanently embedded in the video.
If you want to learn more about accessibility settings, Microsoft’s and Apple’s official support pages explain how caption controls work on their platforms.
How to Choose the Right Caption Setting
Use this quick guide to identify which control you should change.
| What you see | Setting to check first |
|---|---|
| Text on one movie only | Subtitle menu in the video player |
| Captions on every YouTube video | YouTube caption preferences |
| Text across multiple apps on Android | Live Caption accessibility setting |
| Captions on a Windows desktop | Windows Live Captions |
| Subtitles in the Apple TV app | Playback subtitle menu |
| Captions on broadcast television | TV or connected receiver caption settings |
| Text that never disappears | Check whether it is embedded in the video |
The key is to change the setting closest to the source of the captions. This is usually faster and safer than resetting the device.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Before you finish troubleshooting, keep these points in mind:
- Do not confuse subtitles with Live Captions. They may be controlled by different menus.
- Do not assume every TV uses the same menu names. Manufacturers change settings between models and software versions.
- Do not reset your television immediately. Check the app and accessibility settings first.
- Do not change language settings unnecessarily. Choosing another language may replace one subtitle track with another rather than remove captions.
- Do not expect embedded text to disappear. If the words are part of the video image, the standard CC setting cannot remove them.
- Do not assume captions are broken because the CC icon is missing. The video might not offer a separate caption track.
FAQs
Can I remove closed captions permanently?
You can usually turn off captions in your device or app preferences, but some services may enable them again for particular titles or sessions. Permanently embedded text cannot be removed through a standard caption setting.
Why do captions appear even when I have turned them off?
Your device may have a separate Live Captions feature, your streaming app may have its own subtitle preference, or the video may contain embedded text. Identify the source before changing additional settings.
How do I remove closed captions from a TV without a remote?
If your television has physical controls, use them to open its menu if the model supports that function. You can also try the manufacturer’s mobile remote app, a compatible universal remote, or the remote controls available through a connected streaming device.
Can I turn off captions for all apps at once?
Sometimes. A device level setting can control certain accessibility captions, but individual streaming apps may have separate subtitle preferences. You may need to disable captions in more than one place.
Are closed captions the same as subtitles?
Not exactly. Closed captions can include dialogue and descriptions of relevant sounds, while subtitles usually focus on spoken words. In everyday use, however, many people use the terms interchangeably.
Why are captions showing on YouTube when I mute the video?
YouTube offers a Show when muted preference on supported mobile devices. Open the video’s settings, select Captions, and switch that preference off if you do not want captions to appear while the sound is muted.
Can I remove captions from a downloaded video?
If the video has a separate subtitle track, a compatible media player may let you turn that track off. If the words are permanently embedded in the video image, you cannot disable them using ordinary playback settings.
Will turning off captions affect other viewers?
A change to your device’s or app’s playback preferences generally affects your viewing experience. It does not usually remove captions from the original video for everyone else.
Conclusion
Learning how to remove closed captions is mostly a matter of finding the setting that controls the text on your screen. Start with the video’s CC or subtitle menu, then check your television, phone, computer, or streaming app if the captions remain.
If the text still appears after you have disabled every relevant setting, check whether it is permanently embedded in the video. Once you identify the source, you can usually resolve the issue without resetting your device or changing settings you do not need to touch.