Disney Plus provides many foreign content. Sometimes, we want to read subtitles while watching a show, but finding the right button to control subtitles isn't always intuitive. Disney's interface changes subtly depending on whether you're on a laptop, a smartphone, or a smart TV.
Whether you need to turn captions on Disney Plus, fix the ugly "black box" background, or even download them for offline use, this guide covers every method across every device.
Note:
How to turn on subtitles on Disney Plus on different devices?
- On web browsers: Find the Audio & Subtitles icon ➡️ Section 1.1
- On smart TVs: Find Accessibility menu and toggle subtitles ➡️ Section 1.2
How to save Disney Plus subtitles into SRT files?
There is no official service. You need an extra tool like KeepStreams to download videos from Disney Plus while saving the subs as SRT files together. ➡️ Section 2
How to customize Disney Plus subtitles?
Most time, you need to go to your device's System Settings > Accessibility to adjust the color and size of Disney Plus subtitles. ➡️ Section 3
The Basics: How to Turn On Subtitles on Disney Plus (All Devices)
While the concept is simple, the execution varies wildly. Disney Plus doesn't have a universal "one-button" solution. The path to captions depends entirely on the device you are using.
On Web Browsers (PC/Mac)
If you are watching via Chrome, Safari, or Edge, the controls are embedded directly in the player interface.
- Start playing your movie or show.
- Hover your mouse over the screen to reveal the overlay.
- Click the Audio & Subtitles icon (usually a square speech bubble or a keyboard icon) in the top-right corner.
- Select your preferred language under the "Subtitles" column.
Alyssa
Unlike YouTube, standard keyboard shortcuts like "C" often don't toggle captions on the Disney+ web player. You typically have to click the icon manually.
On Mobile Devices (iOS/Android)
If you usually watch Disney Plus on a mobile app with your iPad or Pixel, follow the 3 steps to turn on the subtitles (quite similar to the web option):
- Tap the screen once while the video is playing.
- Tap the icon in the top-right corner.
- Choose your language.
On iOS, your subtitle preferences often sync with your device's main Accessibility settings, which we will cover in the customization section.
Note: If you can't see the subtitle icon on your phone, tap the screen once to wake up the interface. If the icon is still missing, ensure your app is updated to the latest version.
On Smart TVs and Streaming Devices (Roku, Firestick, Apple TV)
This is where 80% of us get stuck. TV apps often hide these menus or rely on remote-specific shortcuts. You can't find the button easily as you do in the mobile app or web browser.
On Roku
This is the most common point of confusion. Pressing the "Up" or "Down" arrow might show the timeline, but to access captions, you often need to press the Star (*) button on your Roku remote.
This opens the system-level Accessibility menu, where you can toggle "Captions mode."
On Amazon Firestick
Press the Up button on your remote circle to reveal the "Audio & Subtitles" icon, then select it to toggle options.
On Apple TV
Depending on your remote generation, either swipe down on the touch surface or click the Up directional button to pull down the top menu bar. From there, swipe to "Subtitles."
Pro Tip: How to Get Disney Plus Subtitles Offline?
Disney Plus' official downloads are great for a quick flight, but they have a major limitation: the subtitles are encrypted inside the app. You can't extract them, edit them, or use them on a media server like Plex.
This is why a dedicated tool like KeepStreams for Disney Plus is made. As a media enthusiast and data holder, I always archive my favorite series. The raw .srt files are necessary—either to correct translation errors myself or to help with language learning.
Why Are External Subtitles Important?
Having external SRT subtitle files is more useful than you think. Basically, there are 3 major advantages:
- Compatibility: Play your movies on VLC, QuickTime, or a home projector that doesn't support the Disney+ app.
- Language Learning: Extract the text to study dialogue script-by-script.
- Better Customization: Load the .srt file into any player and change the font to Comic Sans if you really want to (though I wouldn't recommend it!).
How KeepStreams Saves Disney Plus Subtitles?
So what can KeepStreams do? Unlike screen recorders that burn captions into the video permanently, KeepStreams gives you a choice during the download process. You can choose to remux subs into a downloaded file (saves subtitles inside the video file), or save them as external SRT files (a separate text file alongside your video.)
Of course, subtitle processing is just one of KeepStreams' functions. It mainly aims to help us download Disney Plus videos for offline viewing, while removing all ads from the downloaded titles.
Before using KeepStreams to save Disney Plus videos in MP4 files, you can navigate to Settings > Preferences > VIP Services > Preferred Settings > Subtitle Action to choose to remux the subtitles into the file or extract them into separate SRT files.
And now, follow the 3 steps to download Disney Plus videos while extracting/remuxing the subtitles:
Step1
Launch KeepStreams and find Disney Plus from VIP Services
Step2
Log in to your Disney Plus account
KeepStreams can't remove DRM, which is against the law and the Disney+ ToS. Therefore, you need to log in to your subscribed Disney Plus account to help KeepStreams access the library, before saving the videos you want to download.
Step3
Play the video and set download options. Click on "Download Now"
Play the video you want to download with the built-in browser, and a setting window will appear. Choose your preferred video quality, audio, and subtitles.
The subtitle options depend on the original videos. Namely, if the videos provide 56 languages of subtitles, KeepStreams can help you download up to 56 subtitle files.
After everything is set, click on "Download Now" to get subtitles on Disney Plus along with the video. Also, different from recording the screen of Disney Plus, KeepStreams directly downloads the original video files. And thus can speed up the download up to 10x faster.
Here's a more detailed tutorial video from the official channel of KeepStreams:
Advanced Tips: Customize Your Disney Plus Subtitles
By default, Disney Plus often displays subtitles with a solid black background that covers up way too much of the cinematography. Such a complaint is constantly on forums. If you're searching for how to change subtitle appearance (like size or color) or Disney Plus subtitle settings (the annoying "black box" background) inside the mobile app and finding nothing, don't panic.
You aren't blind. The settings just aren't there. They're hidden.
On most streaming devices (Roku, Firestick, iOS, Android), Disney Plus mirrors your device's System Accessibility Settings. You cannot change the font size inside the Disney+ app itself. You have to change it in your phone or TV's main settings menu.
On Web Browsers
Disney Plus on the web player provides many options for subtitles. And it's very easy to access.
While playing a video, click the Audio & Subtitles icon. In the top-right corner of that pop-up menu, you'll see a small Gear Icon. Click it to adjust font size, color, and opacity (transparency) instantly.
Tip: To remove the black box background, Set Opacity to 50% or 0%.
On iPhone/iPad
Go to Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles & Captioning > Style. Create a new style here, and Disney Plus will automatically adopt it.
On Roku/Firestick
Navigate to your TV's main Settings (not the app settings). And go to Accessibility > Captions mode/style. Here you can change the text size from "Default" to "Large", and choose to remove the background color.
Anon
Can I make Disney Plus subtitles bigger?
Alyssa
Yes, but not inside the Disney Plus app. If you're using an Android/iOS mobile device or a streaming device, try going to the System Settings > Accessibility menu to adjust the text size.
Troubleshooting: Why Can't I Get Subtitles on Disney Plus?
Nothing kills the vibe of a movie night faster than tech glitches. If you are wondering, "Why can't I get subtitles on Disney Plus?" or facing Disney Plus subtitles not working, try these community-verified fixes.
Problem 1: The "Audio Track Toggle" Trick
Sometimes the subtitle track gets "stuck." To solve the problem, let's look into a favorite solution from the r/DisneyPlus community.
While the video is playing, open the Audio & Subtitles menu. Switch the Audio language to something else (e.g., French). Let it play for 5 seconds. Then, switch the Audio back to English. This forces the player to reload the media stream, often bringing the missing subtitles back with it.
Problem 2: Check for "Forced Narratives"
When watching a show like Shōgun or a Star Wars movie where aliens are speaking, we expect subtitles, but they aren't appearing sometimes. These are called "Forced Subtitles" (captions that appear only when a foreign language is spoken).
Sadly, Disney sometimes forgets to tag these correctly. Ensure your subtitles are set to "English [CC]" (Closed Captions) rather than just "English." CC tracks are more likely to include all text to display, including foreign parts.
Problem 3: The Roku "Replay" Glitch
On Roku devices, there is a setting called "Captions on replay" which only shows text when you hit the replay button. Press the Star (*) button, go to Closed captioning, and ensure it is set to "Always on" rather than "On replay."
チャンス
Why are my Disney Plus subtitles out of sync?
Alyssa
This is often a cache issue. Exit the video, restart the Disney+ app, and if that fails, restart your streaming device (TV/Roku) completely to clear the temporary memory.
FAQs
Q1. Is there any shortcut for subtitles on Disney Plus?
A1. On most Smart TV remotes (like Firestick), you can press the Up directional button to reveal the subtitle menu. On Roku, you must press the Star (*) button.
Q2. Can I download subtitles from Disney Plus?
A2. The official app does not allow you to download subtitles as separate files. However, third-party tools like KeepStreams can extract them as .srt files for offline use.
Q3. How do I turn off subtitles on Disney Plus on Roku?
A3. Start playing a video. Press the Star (*) button on your Roku remote. A side menu will pop up. Scroll to Accessibility > Closed Captioning and switch it to Off.
Q4. Should I choose "English" or "English [CC]"? What's the difference?
A4. If you are hard of hearing, choose [CC]. If you just want to read the dialogue, choose standard English. CC stands for Closed Captions. Apart from spoken dialogue, it also includes descriptions of non-verbal sounds (like [upbeat music playing], [clap], or [sigh]).
Q5. Why isn't my native language listed in Disney+?
A5. It usually comes down to where you are. Disney+ changes its subtitle list based on your current location. So, if you are traveling abroad or using a VPN, the options you see will shift to match that specific region, not your home country.
Conclusion
"How to turn subtitles on Disney Plus" and "how to get subtitles on Disney Plus" shouldn't be a headache, but every device seems to have its own hidden menu. Hopefully, this guide helped you find that missing button on your Roku or finally get rid of that annoying black background.
Whether you are just tweaking the settings or downloading permanent subtitles with KeepStreams, you are now in full control. So sit back, turn on those captions, and catch every single word—no matter what language it's in.
NOTE: Content available on Disney+™ is protected by copyright. Unauthorized redistribution of this content may violate US and international copyright laws. KeepStreams is an independent entity not affiliated with or endorsed by Disney+™. This page is for informational purposes only and implies no third-party endorsement.
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