How to set up subtitles and captioning on your Apple devices

If you watch TV shows, movies, or videos with the TV app, Music, or iTunes and need subtitles and captioning for yourself or someone you’re with, setting it up is simple. Your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV all let you enable and customize those subtitles and captions. Here’s how to do it with each device you own.

iPad Subtitle Settings

Enable subtitles and captions

On iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV

  1. Open the Settings app and select Accessibility.
  2. Scroll down to the Hearing heading and select Subtitles and Captioning.
  3. From here, turn on Closed Captions + SDH.
  4. Below that, pick Style to customize your subtitle and captioning display.
Enable Subtitles and Captioning on iPhone

On Mac

  1. Open System Preferences.
  2. Go to Accessibility Captions.
  3. Pick your caption style from the top.
  4. Finally, enable Prefer closed captions and SDH.
Captions in Mac System Settings

Customize the subtitles and captions

On each device, you have the same options for how subtitles and captioning will display. By selecting the options one by one, you can see how they will look.

  • Transparent Background
  • Large Text
  • Classic
  • Outline Text
Subtitles Captions Apple TV

You can also create your own Style. On iPhone or iPad, select Create New Style. On Apple TV, click Edit Styles. And, on Mac, click the plus button.

Then, enter a Description or Style Name, depending on your device. You can choose the background color and opacity, text color and size, font style, and highlight and edge colors. This is a great way to adjust the subtitles and captioning exactly as you need or want it.

Customize Subtitles Mac Text

You can then select your saved, custom-made style from the list. Plus, you can edit or delete the styles that you create.

If you need or want to use subtitles and captioning when watching your favorite shows or videos, then the flexibility you have on your devices is awesome. You can get just the right look to make your viewing time more pleasurable.

If you have subtitles or captioning enabled on apps like YouTube and Netflix, the appearance you customize will apply to those apps as well.

On the same tune: