How to Turn On Captions on YouTube (Computer, Phone and TV)

Captions are one of those small features that help far more people than you'd expect. They're brilliant when you're watching on a train with the sound off, when a speaker has a strong accent, or when you simply take things in better by reading. If you make videos for a business, they matter even more, because plenty of your viewers will be watching silently. Here's how YouTube's help pages say to switch them on, device by device.

Turning on YouTube captions on a computer

1. Open the video you want to watch.
2. Look for the Closed captions (CC) icon at the bottom right of the video player. It only appears if captions are available.
3. Click the CC icon to turn captions on.
4. Click it again whenever you want them off.

If you'd rather have them off for good, my page on turning off subtitles on YouTube covers the reverse.

Turning on YouTube captions on an Android phone or tablet

1. Open the watch page of any video.
2. Tap the player once so the options appear.
3. Tap the Closed captions icon to turn captions on.
4. Tap the icon again to turn them off.

YouTube's help pages add a useful note: if you don't see the Closed captions icon, captions aren't available for that video. The iPhone and iPad app follows the same pattern, though menus vary by app version.

Turning on YouTube captions on a smart TV or games console

On a TV, the controls live in the player. YouTube's help centre says to pause the video, choose Captions, pick a language, and then use Caption style to adjust the font, background and window. It applies on any TV, game console or media device that supports YouTube. If the Captions option doesn't appear, the video has no captions, either because the owner didn't add any or because YouTube hasn't generated automatic ones.

Changing how YouTube captions look

Once captions are on, you may find the default text too small or hard to read against a busy picture. On a computer, YouTube's help pages describe the route like this:

1. Click Settings at the bottom right of the player.
2. Click Subtitles/CC.
3. Click Options.

From there you can change the font, colour, opacity and size of the text, the background colour and opacity, the window colour and opacity, and the character edge style. Your choices become the default until you change them again or click Reset to restore the defaults.

On Android, the default size and font live elsewhere: tap your profile picture, then Settings, then Captions, then Caption size and style.

Choosing a caption language or auto-translating on YouTube

Some videos offer captions in several languages. On a computer, click More at the top right of the video player, click Captions and select a language. If your language isn't listed, click Auto-translate and choose one. This is handy for watching an overseas supplier's training video or a competitor's product demo.

A caution from me, not from the help pages: automatic translation can be rough. Treat it as a guide to the meaning, and don't copy it into your own work without checking.

Why you can't see the CC icon on a YouTube video

• The video simply has no captions. YouTube's help pages say that when the icon isn't there, captions aren't available for that video.
• You're watching in a small embedded player. Open the video on youtube.com instead.
• Your app is out of date, so the player controls look different.
• On a TV, you need to pause the video first to bring up the Captions option.

If you own the video and want to add captions, I've written a walkthrough on adding subtitles to a YouTube video in YouTube Studio. It's one of the most useful ten minutes you can spend on a business channel.

Automatic captions on YouTube: what to expect

YouTube's automatic captioning guidance says these captions are produced by machine learning, so the quality can vary. Names, technical terms, accents and background noise are the usual stumbling blocks. If a caption reads strangely, it isn't necessarily your imagination, and it isn't something you've broken.

On a computer, Settings also has a tickbox, Include auto-generated captions (when available), which controls whether automatic captions appear for videos that don't have captions added by their owner. If captions never appear for you, that's a sensible place to look.

Pairing captions with other YouTube viewing settings

Captions work well alongside a few other controls. If you watch fast, my guide to changing playback speed on YouTube pairs nicely with them, because reading is often easier than listening at higher speeds. On a phone, you can have captions on and the sound off, which keeps you quiet in a waiting room.

Why captions matter if you publish videos

A short word for creators and small business owners. Plenty of people watch with the sound off, and some viewers rely on captions every day. If your videos have accurate captions, more of those viewers can follow what you say. It also makes your content easier to skim. I'd treat captions as part of finishing a video, not an optional extra.

If you're not sure where to start, switch captions on for a few of your own videos as a viewer and read what comes up. You'll quickly spot where names or product terms need fixing.

If YouTube captions won't turn on

• Check the CC icon is there. If it isn't, the video has no captions.
• Reload the page or restart the app.
• Update the YouTube app.
• Try another video to see whether the problem is the video or your device.
• On a TV, pause the video first, then look for Captions.

For the rest of the series, see the YouTube Help: 30 Guides to Channels, Subscribers, Monetisation, Thumbnails and Fixes. Check the length with my free Instagram character counter.

Frequently asked questions

How do I turn on captions on YouTube?

Open a video and click or tap the CC icon in the player. On a TV, pause the video and choose Captions.

Why is there no CC button on a YouTube video?

YouTube's help pages say that if you don't see the icon, captions aren't available for that video.

How do I change the size of YouTube captions?

On a computer, click Settings, then Subtitles/CC, then Options. On Android, go to your profile picture, Settings, Captions, then Caption size and style.

Can I change the caption language on YouTube?

Yes, where more languages exist. On a computer click More in the player, then Captions, and choose a language, or use Auto-translate if yours isn't listed.

Are YouTube's automatic captions always accurate?

No. YouTube says automatic captions are generated by machine learning, so quality can vary.