How to Get Netflix Subtitles for Any Device

Subtitles make Netflix considerably more useful. They let you follow dialogue without cranking the volume, watch foreign-language content without guessing, and catch every line in shows with fast or accented speech. They also make Netflix accessible for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, particularly through closed captions, which include descriptions of sounds, not just spoken words.

Getting them working is straightforward once you know where the controls are, though the exact steps differ between devices. This guide covers every platform, including what to do when subtitles are missing, out of sync, or not available in the language you need.

What Is the Difference Between Subtitles and Closed Captions on Netflix?

Netflix uses both terms, and they mean slightly different things. Subtitles translate or transcribe spoken dialogue only. Closed captions (CC) include everything: dialogue, speaker identification, and audio cues like [tense music] or [door slams]. Both appear in the same Audio & Subtitles menu.

If you are hard of hearing or watching with the sound off, closed captions give you more context than standard subtitles. When browsing the Netflix menus, look for entries marked (CC) or [CC] after the language label to distinguish them.

How to Turn On Subtitles on Netflix on a Computer (PC and Mac)

PC & Mac

1. Start playing a TV show or movie.

2. Hover your mouse over the screen. The ‘Audio & Subtitles’ option will appear in the playback controls bar at the bottom of the screen. 

3. Hovering over this will pop out the full ‘Audio & Subtitle’s menu. 

4. From the ‘Audio & Subtitles' menu, choose your preferred language, audio options, and close captions.

5. To turn them off, select ‘Off.’

6. If you don't see your preferred language listed, it's likely that Netflix hasn't released subtitles or closed captions for that particular language yet.

iOS & Android

1. Start playing a TV show or movie on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device.

2. Tap the screen to bring up the playback controls.

3. In the playback controls, select the ‘Audio &Subtitles’ icon.

4. From the ‘Audio & Subtitles' menu, choose your preferred language. (Options will differ depending on the video.)

5. To turn them off, select ‘Off.’

6. If you don't see your preferred language listed, it's likely that Netflix hasn't released subtitles or closed captions for that particular language yet.

Apple TV 2 or Apple TV 3

1. Press the ‘Center’ button on your Apple Remote.

2. Press the ‘Up’ arrow on your Apple remote to bring up the playback controls.

3. In the playback controls, select ‘Audio & Subtitles.’

4. From the ‘Audio & Subtitles’ menu, choose your preferred language

5. To turn them off, select ‘Off.’

Apple TV 4 or later

With the new tvOS interface, getting subtitles on your Apple TV is easier than ever.

1. Start playing a TV show or movie.

2. Tap on the touchpad of your Siri Remote to bring up the playback controls.

3. Swipe up to move the selection onto the ‘Subtitles’ icon on the button right of the screen.

4. Tap to enter the ‘Subtitles’ menu and choose your preferred language.

To turn on subtitles, select your language. To turn them off, select ‘Off.’

Other Media Devices

Amazon Fire TV

1. Start playing a TV show or movie.

2. Press ‘Pause.’

3. Press ‘Up’ on the directional circle on the Fire remote.

4. Select ‘Audio & Subtitles’ from the highlighted menu.

5. Press the ‘Center’ select button. 

6. From the ‘Subtitles’ menu, choose your preferred language.

Roku

1. While the video is playing, press ‘UP’ on the Roku remote control.

2. Select  ‘Audio & Subtitles’ from the top left.

3. From the ‘Audio & Subtitles’ menu, choose your preferred language.

4. Press the ‘Back’ button to exit out of the menu & play your subtitled video.

Xbox One/360

1. Start playing a TV show or movie.

2. Click Down on your Xbox 360 directional pad to bring up the menu.

3. Select ‘Audio & Subtitles.’

4. From the Subtitles menu, choose your preferred language.

5. All done! Enjoy your video.

PlayStation 3/4

1. Start playing a TV show or movie.

2. Click Down on your PlayStation 4 controller to bring up the playback controls.

3. Navigate to ‘Audio & Subtitles.’ Press ‘X’ to select an option.

4. From the menu, choose your preferred language.

5. That’s it! Subtitles are now enabled on your PlayStation!

Smart TVs, Blu-ray players, and set-top boxes

1. Start playing a TV show or movie.

2. Press the ‘Menu’ button on your remote control to bring up the playback controls.

3. In the playback controls, select ‘Audio & Subtitles.’

4. From the Subtitles menu, choose your preferred language.

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How do I change the appearance of subtitles?

1. Log in to Netflix, select your profile & navigate to your ‘Account’ page.

2. On the ‘Profile & Parental Controls’ page, Login and select the account you wish to customize subtitles for.

3. Select ‘Change’ on the ‘Subtitle Appearance’ tab.

4. Make your changes to the subtitles appearance settings and click ‘Save.’

How to Turn Off Subtitles on Netflix

Turning subtitles off follows the same path as turning them on. Open the Audio & Subtitles menu on whichever device you are using (the steps for each are in the sections above) and select Off from the subtitles column. The setting applies immediately and persists for the rest of that session.

One thing worth knowing: Netflix does not save your subtitle preference globally. If you enable or disable subtitles on one device, it does not automatically carry across to other devices. Each device retains its own last-used setting. If subtitles keep turning back on unexpectedly, check whether another profile or household member is using the account on a separate device with subtitles enabled, as overlapping sessions can occasionally reset playback settings.

Read more: How to Turn Subtitles off on Netflix

How to Download Netflix Subtitles

The first question some people ask is, why would you want to download subtitles anyway? Perhaps you're learning a language, and you want to do so in a fun and engaging way. 

Studying while watching a show you enjoy is an easy way to turn your movies and tv shows into great learning tools.

The benefits

Transcripts can be an invaluable resource for learning a new language. They let you slow down the pace of speech and focus on individual words. 

They make comprehending longer sentences or paragraphs easier, which comes in handy during conversations with natives who often speak quickly.

Learning in this way increases your understanding and enjoyment of the video.

So, how do you download the subtitles?

Downloading subtitles using Firefox

1. Log in to Netflix and navigate to the video you wish to extract the subtitles from.

2. Right-click on the video and select ‘Inspect’ to open the Firefox Developer window. 

3. In the ‘Developer’ window, select the ‘Network’ tab.

4. Next, select the ‘XHR’ tab.

5. Select ‘octet-stream.’ from the ‘Type’ menu.

6. A new .xml window will open to the right of the Developer module.

7. Click the ‘Response’ tab to see the name of the .xml file with your subtitles.

8. Right-click on ‘octet-stream’ in the ‘Type’ tab, and select ‘open in new tab.’

9. This will download a .dms file.

10. Locate the .dms file (in your Firefox Downloads folder.)

Convert your Netflix subtitles to .srt

Now that you’ve downloaded your subtitles, you’ll need to convert them into a more readable format. To do this:

1. Open a new browser window.

2. Type or paste the following URL: gotranscript.com/subtitle-convertor

3. Select ‘SubRip (.srt)’ as the format.

4. Click ‘Convert for download.’

5. Retrieve the converted .srt file from your downloads folder. You can open this file using a plain-text editor.

Bonus tip!

If you’re interested in capturing audio from videos to learn a new language, you might also consider Notta’s free Chrome extension. 

This free plug-in will allow you to capture audio from YouTube videos and turn them into readable transcripts in minutes.

Notta makes it possible to translate the text into over 40 languages.  In addition, you can transcribe meetings, convert audio to text in a flash, and generate your video subtitles. 

Troubleshooting Netflix Subtitle Problems

Subtitles Not Working

If the Audio & Subtitles menu appears but selecting a language does nothing, try exiting the video and returning to it. On Smart TVs, close the Netflix app entirely, relaunch it, and reload the title. This resolves the majority of cases where subtitle selection appears to have no effect.

If the menu shows no subtitle options at all for a title, that title does not have subtitles available in any language in your region. This is a content licensing limitation, not a technical fault.

Subtitles Out of Sync or Delayed

Subtitle sync issues on Netflix are usually caused by a slow or unstable internet connection. The video stream and the subtitle track are delivered separately, and a drop in connection speed can cause them to fall out of alignment. If you notice subtitles running ahead of or behind the dialogue, try pausing the video for 30 seconds to let the buffer rebuild, then resume.

Restarting the Netflix app on Smart TVs and streaming sticks resolves persistent sync issues more reliably than pausing. If the problem continues across multiple titles, the issue may be with your device's Netflix app version — check for app updates in your TV or device's app store.

Netflix Subtitles Greyed Out on Android

If your Netflix subtitles appear grey and faded instead of white on Android, your phone's system-level accessibility captions setting is overriding the Netflix subtitle style. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Captions (the exact path varies by manufacturer) and turn off system caption styling. Netflix will then display subtitles using its own formatting, which is typically much easier to read.

Subtitles Stuck On and Won't Turn Off

If subtitles reappear every time you start a video despite setting them to Off, check whether your device has an accessibility setting that forces captions on at the system level. On Apple TV, this is under Settings > Accessibility > Closed Captions + SDH. On Android TV, check Settings > Device Preferences > Accessibility > Captions. Disabling the system-level setting allows Netflix to control subtitle display independently.

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FAQs

Can I use subtitles to learn a language on Netflix?

Watching content in a foreign language with subtitles is a well-established method for language learning. You can further support this by using a tool like Notta to generate a text transcript of the audio — useful for reviewing vocabulary and phrases after watching.

Why do my Netflix subtitles keep turning on automatically?

This usually means a system-level accessibility caption setting on your device is overriding Netflix's in-app setting. Check your device's accessibility or caption settings and disable the auto-caption option. The Netflix setting will then take effect.

Where is the options panel on Netflix?

All the options for your subtitles are accessible upon selecting the ‘Audio & Subtitles” panel. This is visible at the bottom of your video and looks like a speech bubble icon. 

How do I change Netflix's subtitle size?

You can change the size of Netflix subtitles in your account settings. Log into your account on the Netflix website and go to "Your Profile." Select "Subtitle Appearance" and choose your preferred font size.

How do I change the Netflix subtitle languages?

You can change the language of Netflix subtitles in the ‘Audio & Subtitles’ menu while you're watching a show or movie. To do this, follow the steps above and select your preferred language from the menu.

NB: Remember that not all titles have subtitles available in all languages.

Why can't I turn on subtitles on Netflix?

Try refreshing the subtitles options by changing its settings. Select your video and hit play. Then access the subtitles screen by tapping on ‘Audio & Subtitles’ again.

What are some common issues with Netflix subtitle settings?

Netflix subtitles sometimes have incorrect timing sync issues. They may be cut off or have other irregularities. Altering settings in the ‘Subtitle Appearance’ menu can address these issues. Try restarting your browser or device and reloading the video.

How do I report a problem with Netflix subtitles?

If you're having an issue with Netflix subtitles, report the problem to Netflix. Log into your account and profile settings. Head to ‘Subtitle Appearance’ and choose ‘Report a Problem.’