Learn how to use captions on all of the latest streaming platforms.
For many people, streaming services are their new favorite way to watch TV. Instead of surfing through the channels to see what’s on, you have access to a vast library of movies and shows and can choose anything you want! Plus, all the major apps have robust closed captioning features to make content accessible to a wider variety of users, including those with hearing loss.
In a previous article, we shared instructions for how to use closed captions for major providers like Hulu, Netflix, Prime, and cable TV. Visit this article for instructions on some other popular apps, including Roku, Disney+, Apple TV, and YouTube.
Right now, we’ll explain how to use closed captions on some of the newest streaming services, including:
- Paramount Plus
- Max (HBO Max)
- Hulu+ Live TV
- ESPN+
Let’s find out how to use closed captions on these streaming applications!
It’s important to note that the location of captioning options and the available customization settings may vary slightly between different devices and versions of the apps. If you encounter any difficulties, we advise consulting the service’s official help pages or contacting customer support.
Paramount Plus
Here’s how to enable closed captions on Paramount Plus. These instructions should work for most people streaming on their computers, tablets, or phones.
- Launch the Paramount Plus app on your device.
- Start playing the desired video.
- Look for a speech bubble or “CC” icon, which should be in the top right corner on most devices, and click on it.
- Click on “Subtitles” and select your desired option.
- Confirm your selection, and the closed captions will start appearing on the screen.
This process will look a little different if you’re watching Paramount Plus through a device like Roku, Fire, Xbox, smart TV, etc. (After all, the remotes and controllers all have different buttons!) Paramount Plus goes over all the options on their accessibility features help page and also explains how to change your caption styling.
Max (HBO Max)
HBO Max recently changed the name of their streaming service name to just Max, so you may have to download a new application to resume use if it’s been a while since you’ve logged in. Use these instructions to activate closed captions on Max:
- Open the Max app on your device of choice.
- Start playing the content you want to watch.
- Tap on the screen to reveal the playback controls.
- Select the “CC” or “Audio & Subtitles” icon.
- Choose the desired language and captioning options from the available list.
- The closed captions will now be displayed during playback.
Visit your application’s Settings area to further customize your caption styles, size, etc. Refer to the official HBO Max help page for more specific instructions based on the type of device you have.
Hulu+ Live TV
There have also been some recent changes with Hulu, including a new Live TV option available through a Hulu+ subscription. Fortunately, the process is the same as enabling captions for standard Hulu content!
Here’s how to turn on closed captions on Hulu+ Live TV:
- Open Hulu+ and choose the live content you want to watch.
- During playback, click on Settings and look for some variation of “subtitles/captions/audio.”
- Click to turn captions on or off, then exit the settings menu to resume watching.
For more specific instructions, you can consult the official Hulu help page. This page also explains how to format your captions with different fonts, colors, backgrounds, etc.
ESPN+
Most content on the ESPN+ service offers closed captioning, and it’s relatively simple to turn subtitles on and off when you want:
- Launch your ESPN+ app on your device of choice.
- Start playing your desired video.
- Look for the CC button on the video player bar.
- Click it to toggle captions on or off.
Here’s the official ESPN+ help page, which shares more information about captions and subtitles. Formatting captions is done from the Settings > Accessibility area; find those instructions here.
Closed captions help promote an inclusive viewing experience for everyone in your household — happy watching! Next, check out these other hearing loss accessories for watching TV.
