How to Turn Off Captions on Paramount Plus Without Losing Your Mind

You're settling in for the new season of Tulsa King or maybe a classic Survivor binge, and there they are. Giant white blocks of text taking up half the screen. Sometimes they’re out of sync, ruining the punchline of a joke three seconds before the actor even opens their mouth. Honestly, it’s maddening. Knowing how to turn off captions on paramount plus should be a one-click affair, but because every device—from your dusty Roku stick to your brand-new LG OLED—uses a different interface, it feels like a scavenger hunt you never signed up for.

Closed captions are a godsend for accessibility and for anyone trying to watch a movie while a toddler sleeps nearby. But when you don't need them, they’re just clutter.

The reality is that Paramount Plus (formerly CBS All Access) has had a rocky history with its user interface. Users on Reddit and tech forums frequently complain about "ghost captions" that reappear even after being toggled off. This usually happens because the app's settings are fighting with the global settings of your actual hardware. We're going to fix that.

The Quick Fix for Web Browsers and Laptops

If you’re watching on a PC or Mac, you have it easiest. It’s the most direct route.

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While the video is playing, just wiggle your mouse. You’ll see a little speech bubble icon in the top right-hand corner of the player. Click that. A menu pops up with "Subtitles" and "Audio" options. Just select "Off" under the subtitles column.

Sometimes, the browser cache acts up. If you click off and the text stays there, haunting you like a digital specter, refresh the page. Usually, that forced reload nudges the script to realize you’ve changed your mind. If you’re using Chrome, occasionally third-party "Volume Booster" or "Language Learning" extensions mess with the overlay. Disable those if the "Off" button seems unresponsive.

Dealing with the Roku Maze

Roku is notorious for this. Why? Because Roku has its own global caption settings that can override individual apps. If you've been wondering how to turn off captions on paramount plus on a Roku and the in-app setting isn't working, it’s likely the "Star" button issue.

1. Press the Asterisk (*) button on your remote while the show is playing.
2. A side menu appears.
3. Look for "Closed Captioning."
4. Toggle it to "Off."

But wait. There’s a deeper level. If that doesn't work, you have to go to the Roku Home Screen. Go to Settings, then Accessibility, then Captions Mode. If this is set to "On Always," it will force Paramount Plus to show text even if you told the app to stop. Set it to "Off" or "On Replay." This is a classic conflict where the hardware is "smarter" than the software, and not in a good way.

Smart TVs: Samsung, LG, and Vizio Weirdness

Smart TVs are the wild west of streaming. Each manufacturer uses a different operating system (Tizen for Samsung, webOS for LG), and they don't always play nice with the Paramount Plus app.

On a Samsung TV, you often find that the captions are controlled by the TV's own accessibility menu. You might need to hit the 'Home' button, go to 'Settings,' then 'General,' then 'Accessibility,' and turn off 'Caption Settings' there. It feels redundant. It is redundant. But it works when the app-level toggle fails.

LG users usually find the toggle within the player. Press the 'Enter' or 'OK' button on your Magic Remote. Look for the 'CC' icon. It’s usually near the bottom right. If it’s highlighted, click it to grey it out.

Apple TV and the Swipe Method

Apple TV is sleek, but the Siri Remote can be a sensitive little thing. To manage captions here:

• Swipe down on the touch surface (or click the center of the new clickpad) while watching.
• A top menu drops down—this is the info bar.
• Swipe over to the Subtitles section.
• Select "Off."

If you’re using an older Apple TV, the process is similar, but you might need to hold the center button to bring up the audio/subtitle options. Apple’s "Type to Siri" or other accessibility shortcuts can sometimes trigger captions automatically if the box thinks you're in a "loud environment." It's worth checking the main Apple TV settings under Accessibility if the captions keep turning themselves back on like a persistent itch.

Why Do Captions Keep Coming Back?

It’s the most common frustration. You turn them off, the next episode starts, and—boom—they're back. This is often a "sync" issue between your profile and the server.

Paramount Plus stores your preferences in the cloud. If you have a weak internet connection at the exact moment you toggle the setting, the app might fail to "tell" the server that you want them off. The next time the app fetches your profile data, it pulls the old "Captions: On" command.

Pro tip: Try turning the captions off on a mobile device or a web browser while logged into your account. Often, the web interface is better at "saving" the preference to your account than a TV app is. Once saved on the web, it usually propagates to your TV within a few minutes.

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Mobile Devices: iOS and Android

Watching on your phone during a commute? The process is standard but the icons are tiny.

Tap the screen once to bring up the overlays. In the top right, you’ll see the speech bubble. Tap it. Select "Off."

On iOS (iPhone/iPad), there is a secondary trap. Go to your phone's Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles & Captioning. If "Closed Captions + SDH" is toggled on at the system level, many video apps will default to showing them regardless of your in-app choice. Switch that off if you want total control.

The "Hard Reset" for Persistent Issues

If you’ve tried everything and the text is still there, you’re likely dealing with a corrupted app cache. This happens a lot on Fire Sticks and Android TV boxes.

1. Go to your device’s Settings.
2. Find Applications or App Management.
3. Select Paramount+.
4. Click Clear Cache. (Do not click "Clear Data" unless you want to log in again).
5. Restart the device.

Restarting the device is key. "Sleep mode" on a TV isn't a restart. Unplug the power cord for 30 seconds. It sounds like advice from 1995, but for modern streaming hardware, it's still the most effective way to flush out buggy UI behavior.

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Customizing Instead of Killing

Sometimes we want the captions, just not those captions. Paramount Plus allows for some customization, though it’s often hidden. On the web, when you open the subtitle menu, there’s often a "Settings" or gear icon.

You can change the font size from "Obnoxious" to "Tiny." You can also change the background opacity. If your issue is that the captions are blocking the action, try setting the background to 0% (transparent) and the font to yellow. It’s a lot less intrusive than the default white-on-black box.

Summary of Actionable Steps

Getting your screen clear shouldn't require a degree in software engineering. If you're stuck in a loop, follow this specific order of operations:

• Check the App First: Use the speech bubble icon during playback.
• Check the Hardware Second: Look at your Roku, Apple TV, or Samsung system settings for "Accessibility."
• Sync the Cloud: Toggle the setting on a desktop browser to force an account-wide update.
• The Nuclear Option: Clear the app cache and perform a cold reboot of your streaming device.

Most people find that the conflict lives in the hardware settings. If your Roku is set to "Captions On," Paramount Plus will almost always lose that fight. Fix the source, and the app will behave.

Now, go back to your show. The only thing you should be reading on the screen is the credits after a great finale.

Check your device's "System Update" section to ensure the Paramount Plus app is running the latest version, as legacy versions from 2023 and 2024 were notorious for subtitle "stickiness" bugs that have since been patched in newer builds. If you are using a VPN, occasionally this can interfere with the localized metadata for subtitles—try turning it off briefly to see if the toggle responds better. Once the setting is "stuck" in the Off position, you can safely re-enable your security layers.