To turn off subtitles on an iPhone 14, first use the subtitle or CC control in the app playing the video. You can also turn off the system preference at Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles & Captioning > Closed Captions + SDH. That preference is not a universal off switch for every app or kind of caption.
Turn off captions in the video player
- Start the video and tap it to reveal playback controls.
- Open the subtitles, language, speech-bubble or CC menu used by that app.
- Select Off or disable captions if that choice is available.
- Resume playback and check whether the text disappears.
Some services remember caption choices by profile, device or title. If the option returns, check that app’s playback preferences. Menu labels differ between streaming apps.
Change the iPhone caption preference
- Open Settings.
- Tap Accessibility.
- Open Subtitles & Captioning.
- Turn off Closed Captions + SDH.
This changes the preference for accessible captions in supported playback. An app’s selected subtitle language or its own caption controls can still require adjustment. SDH includes cues such as speaker identification and sound effects.
If a floating transcription box remains
That may be Live Captions, which transcribes spoken audio separately from a video’s subtitle track. Where the feature is available, open Settings > Accessibility > Live Captions and turn it off. Availability depends on language, region and software version.
If text is part of the video
Burned-in subtitles are pixels in the video itself, so a CC switch cannot remove them. Look for a version without embedded text if the service provides one. Podcasts may also show their own transcripts, which are separate from the system caption preference.
Turn captions back on when needed
Use the player’s caption menu for the current video or re-enable Closed Captions + SDH for supported content. You can adjust caption appearance under Style, though some apps use their own formatting.
Apple documents subtitles and captions and Live Captions separately.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.