Hulu offers you the option of getting closed captions for your Hulu shows and movies on any device. So whether you have hearing difficulty, need subtitles in order to understand a foreign film or you just want to watch some videos in silence, you can have access to it. However, the method of enabling the Hulu closed caption feature depends on the type of device you are using. It also depends on the version of Hulu you are using. Be it as it may, once you enable it, you should start seeing closed captions for future videos you play. As such, you won’t have to bother about changing your settings again on that device.
How to Enable Hulu.com and Mobile Captions
For phones, computers, and tablets:
- Tap on the gear icon which appears on the top or bottom of a video you are playing.
- This will prompt the settings menu and some further steps that will differ by device.
For Hulu Android and iOS app
If you happen to be using the current Hulu app on a mobile device:
- Click “On” underneath “Subtitles and Captions”
- Choose your desired subtitle language under the “Subtitle Language” option.
Hulu Classic app
If you are using the classic Hulu app:
- Simply click “On” for the “Closed Captions” option.
Hulu.com
Using the Hulu website?
- Just click on “Subtitles”. This will enable you see available subtitle languages.
- Simply click on the one you want to use.
How to Enable Hulu Captions on TV
As easy as it may sound, being able to find where to enable captions on Hulu when you use a device like an Amazon Fire TV Stick or Roku can be a lot trickier. This is because the method largely depends on your system and TV.
- Start by using your remote to access the Hulu settings option. This involves swiping up when you are watching a video on your device. For those devices that are using an older version of the Hulu app, you may need to swipe up twice in order to access the settings.
- Then you should be able to locate a “Subtitles & Captions” option. Select the option to enable the captions and thereafter set your preferred caption language.
Change How Closed Captions Appear
In case you want to change the Hulu subtitles color, you can easily do so from within the Hulu app or website. In some cases, you may be required to go into your device’s main accessibility settings instead. In either case, you can select a font style, color and text size to fit your preferences.
For Hulu.com – How to Get Closed Captioning on Hulu
If you are using the Hulu website, you’ll come across the “Settings” link in your subtitle settings which will bring up the subtitle formatter.
Hulu app for iOS – How to Get Closed Captioning on Hulu
Using an iPhone or iPad? Then understand that you won’t be able to adjust the subtitle styles from the Hulu app. Rather:
- Open the Settings app
- Select “Accessibility” and choose the “Subtitles & Captioning” option.
- You can click on “Style” in order to choose a preset or custom style for systemwide subtitles.
Hulu app for Android and TV
For both the Android devices and televisions:
- Access the app’s “Account” menu.
- Choose “Settings”
- Then choose “Subtitles & Captions” to see the formatter.
How to Troubleshoot Hulu Closed Caption Issues
Note that, even though you turn on the Hulu closed caption option, you still may not always see captions when you watch videos. For instance, commercials usually don’t have captions. Also some TV shows and movies may simply have no captions available yet. What you can do here, is to go check your settings again to ensure captions are still on.
You may also encounter cases where the subtitle language is not the one you want. Even if the desired language is missing for some content, you can try going through the Hulu change subtitle language process. This will help you confirm and update your settings.
Finally, you may notice that your captions don’t line up well with the speakers on the screen. To fix this bug, you can easily reboot the Hulu app or your device. Or check if the problem affects other videos. On the other hand, the Hulu support team can take any bug reports and try to help you get your subtitles back in sync.