How to Turn On YouTube Captions
You can turn on YouTube captions only when that video already has a caption track. The CC button sits on the player. If it is missing, YouTube has no captions to show.
Direct answer: on a computer, click Closed captions at the bottom right of the player. On a phone, tap the player once, then tap Closed captions. Click or tap it again to turn captions off. If the button is not there, that video has no caption track.
Key facts
- CC means closed captions. YouTube shows it only when a caption track exists.
- Captions play on the video. The transcript is the same text as a list you can scroll.
- On iPhone and Android, tap the player first. The controls hide until you do.
- You can keep captions on by default in YouTube or device accessibility settings.
- Automatic captions can mishear words. Replay a line before you quote it.
- Youtube To Transcript reads an available caption track on a computer watch page. It does not create the CC button.
Turn captions on for this video
- Open the YouTube watch page.
- On a computer, look at the bottom right of the player for Closed captions.
- On iPhone, iPad, or Android, tap the player once so the controls appear.
- Tap or click Closed captions. The text should appear on the video.
- Tap or click it again if you want captions off.
- If Closed captions is missing, stop. This video has no caption track.
To read the same lines as a list, use how to show the transcript. The difference is explained in captions versus the transcript.
When the button is missing or hard to use
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Closed captions on the player | A caption track exists | Click or tap it |
| No CC button | No caption track | Try another video |
| Phone controls are hidden | The player is not showing options | Tap the video once |
| Text is in the wrong language | Another track is selected | Change the caption language |
| Lines are hard to read | Size or contrast is low | Open caption style settings |
Language steps are in how to change the caption language. A missing track is covered in why the transcript is not available.
Keep captions on by default
On Android, open your profile picture, then Settings, then Captions, and turn on Show captions. On iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app, then Accessibility, then Subtitles and Captioning, and turn on Closed Captions + SDH. Those choices apply when a video actually has captions.
On a phone you can also open the player Settings, then Captions, and turn on Show when muted. That still needs a caption track.
How Youtube To Transcript fits
Youtube To Transcript shows available captions in a sidebar on supported YouTube watch pages in Chrome on a computer. It can search timestamps, copy text, and draft summaries, notes, key insights, action items, and quizzes from that caption text.
It does not add a CC button when YouTube has none, and it does not run inside the YouTube phone app. Review the how-to guide and privacy policy before installing.
Related guides
- Change the caption language
- Captions versus the transcript
- Open the transcript on a phone
- Show the transcript on YouTube
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn on captions on YouTube?
Click Closed captions at the bottom right of the player. On a phone, tap the video once, then tap Closed captions.
Why is there no CC button?
The video has no caption track. YouTube shows Closed captions only when captions already exist for that video.
How do I turn captions on for every video?
On Android, use YouTube Settings, then Captions, then Show captions. On iPhone, use the Settings app, Accessibility, Subtitles and Captioning, then Closed Captions + SDH. A video with no captions still will not show text.
Are captions the same as the transcript?
They come from the same track. Captions play on the video. The transcript lists those lines so you can read ahead and jump to a timestamp.
Can an extension turn captions on if YouTube has none?
No. A caption-based extension can only show text YouTube already provides. A missing CC button means there is no caption text to open.