You Just Want to Watch Your Video, Not Read It
You hit play on a YouTube video, ready to dive in, and suddenly there they are: subtitles plastered across the screen. Maybe they’re blocking something important, maybe they’re auto-generated and hilariously wrong, or maybe you just find them distracting. Whatever the reason, you want them gone, and the option seems to have vanished.
It’s a common frustration. YouTube’s settings for captions and subtitles can be a bit of a maze, changing slightly depending on whether you’re on a phone, a computer, or a smart TV. The setting you need might be hidden behind an icon you’ve never clicked, or it might be stuck “on” from a previous video.
Turning off subtitles is almost always possible, but the path to do it isn’t always obvious. This guide will walk you through the exact steps for every device and situation, from a quick toggle to permanent settings changes, so you can get back to watching your video the way you want.
Understanding YouTube’s Caption Layers
Before we jump into the steps, it helps to know what you’re dealing with. YouTube has a few different types of text on screen, and they’re controlled in different places.
First, there are subtitles or closed captions (CC). These are the text translations or transcriptions of the audio. They can be added by the video creator, auto-generated by YouTube, or provided by the community. This is usually what people mean when they say “subtitles.”
Then there are automatic captions. These are a specific type of subtitle generated by YouTube’s speech recognition. They’re often less accurate and are marked with a subtle “auto-generated” label. They function the same way as other subtitles for the purpose of turning them off.
Finally, some videos have burned-in or open captions. These are part of the video file itself, like text a creator added in editing software. You cannot turn these off through YouTube’s settings; they are permanent. If the text disappears when you follow the steps below, you were dealing with regular subtitles. If it stays, it’s burned-in.
Where the Setting Gets Stuck
The most common reason subtitles won’t turn off is a profile or system-level setting overriding your choice for that single video. YouTube remembers your preference. If you turned captions on six months ago and never turned them off, they might default to “on” for every video you watch on that device or account.
Another culprit is the video player’s settings menu itself. The toggle is there, but it’s nested inside an icon that doesn’t scream “subtitles.” Let’s find it.
Turning Off Subtitles on a Computer (Web Browser)
This is the most common scenario. The controls are in the video player at the bottom.
Start playing any YouTube video. Look at the bottom right corner of the video player. You’ll see a series of icons for settings, fullscreen, and more. The one you need looks like a small rectangle with lines in it, or sometimes says “CC.” This is the “Subtitles/Closed Captions” button.
Click that button. A menu will pop up. If subtitles are currently on, you’ll see the language (e.g., “English (auto-generated)”) with a checkmark next to it. At the very top of this menu, there is an option that says “Off.” Click “Off.”
The subtitles should immediately disappear from the video. This setting will often persist for other videos you watch in the same browser session.
For a Permanent Fix on Desktop
If you find subtitles keep coming back every time you open YouTube, you need to change your account’s default setting.
Click your profile picture in the top right corner of any YouTube page. Select “Settings” from the menu. In the left sidebar, click “Playback and performance.”
On this page, look for the section titled “Captions.” You will see a dropdown menu for “Always show captions.” Make sure this is set to “Off.” You can also uncheck the box below it that says “Include auto-generated captions (when available).”
Click “Save” at the bottom. Now, YouTube should not automatically show captions for any video you watch while logged into your account on this browser.
Turning Off Subtitles on Mobile (iPhone & Android App)
The process on the YouTube mobile app is very similar but uses touch gestures.
Tap to play a video. While the video is playing, tap anywhere on the screen to bring up the playback controls. In the top right corner of the video player, you will see three vertical dots. This is the “More” or settings menu.
Tap the three dots. A menu will slide up from the bottom. Look for the option that says “Captions.” Tap it.
You will be taken to a new screen with a list of available languages and an “Off” option at the top. Tap “Off.” Tap the back arrow, and you’ll see the subtitles have vanished from your video.
Managing App-Wide Caption Settings on Mobile
To stop the app from defaulting to captions, you need to adjust the settings from the app’s home screen, not the video player.
Tap your profile picture in the top right corner of the app’s home screen. Select “Settings.” Then, tap “Captions.”
Here, you will find a master switch. Toggle “Always show captions” to the off position. You can also toggle off “Include auto-generated captions.”
Close the settings. The app will now remember not to show captions automatically for new videos.
Turning Off Subtitles on Smart TVs and Streaming Devices
Watching on a big screen? The controls are handled by your TV’s remote, but the menu is still YouTube’s.
Start playing a video. On most remotes, pressing the “Up” arrow or “OK” button will bring up the video progress bar and overlay. Look for an icon that looks like a speech bubble or says “CC.” It is often located along the bottom or top of the overlay.
Use your remote’s directional pad to highlight that icon and press “OK” or “Select.” A side menu or list will appear. Navigate to the “Off” option and select it. The subtitles should turn off.
If you don’t see a CC icon, try bringing up the overlay and looking for a “Settings” gear icon. Inside settings, there is almost always a “Captions” or “Subtitles” submenu where you can turn them off.
When the TV’s System Settings Interfere
Some smart TVs or devices (like Roku or Apple TV) have their own system-wide accessibility settings for closed captions. If you turn subtitles off in the YouTube app but they still appear, you may have accidentally enabled them at the device level.
You will need to exit YouTube and go to your device’s main settings menu. Look for “Accessibility,” “Captions,” or “Subtitles.” The exact name varies. Inside, find the master setting for closed captions and disable it. Return to YouTube, and the app-level setting should now work correctly.
What to Do If Subtitles Won’t Turn Off
Followed all the steps and those stubborn lines of text are still there? Let’s troubleshoot.
First, refresh the page or restart the app. Sometimes a simple reset clears a glitch. If you’re on a browser, try a hard refresh (Ctrl+F5 or Cmd+Shift+R).
Second, try a different video. If subtitles disappear on other videos, the issue is with that specific video. The creator may have uploaded a version with burned-in captions, which, as mentioned, cannot be turned off. Alternatively, they may have set a specific caption track as default, which can be overridden by your account settings.
Third, check if you’re signed in. Your caption preference is tied to your YouTube/Google account. If you’re browsing in “Incognito” mode or are signed out, YouTube can’t remember your “Off” setting and may revert to a default. Sign in to your account and try again.
Finally, clear your browser cache or app data. Corrupted local data can cause settings to stick incorrectly. On a browser, go to settings and clear cached images and files for youtube.com. On the mobile app, you can go to your phone’s system settings, find the YouTube app, and tap “Clear Cache” (not “Clear Data,” as that will log you out).
Dealing with Auto-Generated Captions Specifically
Auto-generated captions can be particularly persistent because YouTube sometimes prioritizes them if it thinks they’re helpful. If you only want to turn off the inaccurate auto-generated ones but keep creator-provided subtitles, that’s trickier.
In the captions menu (the one you open by clicking the CC button), you will see all available languages. “English” might be the creator’s clean version. “English (auto-generated)” is the AI version. Choose “English” to switch to the better track, or choose “Off” to remove all text. There’s no setting to hide only auto-generated captions while showing manual ones automatically.
Taking Control of Your Viewing Experience
Subtitles are a fantastic accessibility tool, but they aren’t always wanted. The key is knowing that the control is almost always just one or two clicks away, hidden in the video player’s settings menu or your account’s playback preferences.
The quick fix is the CC button on the player itself. For a lasting solution, dive into your YouTube Settings under “Playback and performance” on desktop or “Captions” in the mobile app menu and set the default to “Off.”
Remember, if the text is part of the video itself, no setting will remove it. But for the vast majority of videos, following these steps will give you a clean, distraction-free screen so you can focus on what you came for: the video.
Your viewing preferences are yours to set. Don’t let a default setting or a confusing menu dictate how you watch.
