On Firestick, stuck subtitles usually mean captions are enabled in the app or device settings; turn them off during playback and in Settings > Accessibility.
Seeing captions pop back on after you switch them off can be maddening. Fire TV devices handle subtitles in two places: inside each streaming app and at the system level. If subtitles won’t turn off on your Firestick, a mismatch between those two controls, an audio track that bundles captions, cached data, or an outdated app is usually the cause. The steps below stop the loop fast and keep it from resurfacing.
Fast Causes And Where To Fix Them
Start here. Match the symptom with the spot to change the setting. Use the first row that mirrors your issue.
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Where To Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Captions toggle to Off, then return next episode | Per-app CC preference saved as On | Turn captions Off in the app during playback |
| Subtitles show even when the app says Off | Fire TV Closed Captions set to On | Settings > Accessibility > Closed Captions > Off |
| Only some titles keep showing text | Audio set to “English [CC]” or title has burned-in subs | Select a non-CC audio track; burned-in text can’t be hidden |
| Captions language keeps switching | Profile default language differs from audio | Align profile language and in-playback subtitle language |
| Toggling works once, then breaks again | Corrupted app cache or stale version | Clear cache/data, update, or reinstall the app |
| Only one app ignores the Off toggle | App-specific setting or bug | Use that app’s subtitle menu; see steps below |
Firestick Subtitles Won’t Turn Off: Step-By-Step Fixes
1) Toggle Captions During Playback
Play a video, open the on-screen menu, and enter the Subtitles or CC panel. Set Subtitles to Off, and press back to resume. On many services this is the only switch that truly sticks, so test on two titles. For the Fire TV flow with screenshots, see Amazon’s Fire TV subtitle controls. That page outlines the in-player toggle and the device settings that can override it.
2) Turn Off Device-Level Closed Captions
From the home screen go to Settings > Accessibility > Closed Captions. Switch Closed Captions to Off. Open Caption Settings and confirm any style preset is saved, then back out. This prevents the system from forcing captions on top of what each app wants.
3) Pick The Right Audio Track
Inside the Subtitles/Audio pane, choose the standard audio track (for example “English”) instead of “English [CC]”, “English Audio Description”, or similar. Tracks labeled with CC or descriptions bundle captions or add screen-reader cues. If a foreign-language scene includes on-screen translation, that text is part of the video and won’t respond to toggles.
4) Fix It In Prime Video
While playing, open Subtitles & Audio, choose Off under Subtitles, and confirm the change sticks for a second title. Prime Video also listens to the Fire TV Closed Captions switch, so make sure that is Off. Amazon’s guide to Prime Video subtitles on TVs shows the exact in-player menu wording used on connected devices.
5) Fix It In Netflix
Play a show, bring up the Dialog or Audio & Subtitles panel, set Subtitles to Off, then back out. If Netflix keeps turning them back on across titles, sign out and back in, then repeat the toggle. Netflix documents the service-specific reset steps here: “Subtitles won’t turn off”. Follow that page if the Firestick toggle alone doesn’t hold.
6) Fix It In Hulu
Start any video, open the gear icon, choose Subtitles & Captions, and set to Off. Hulu also lets you change font, size, and color, which can make captions look “on” when they’re just styled boldly. If the switch keeps flipping back, clear the app’s cache and check your Hulu profile settings afterward.
7) Clear App Cache And Data
Go to Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications, select the streaming app, and choose Clear cache. Test. If the Off state still won’t hold, select Clear data, then sign back in. Data clears app preferences and can dislodge a sticky subtitle flag that returns after every episode.
8) Update Fire OS And Apps
Open Settings > My Fire TV > About > Check for Updates. Then launch the Appstore and apply updates for Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, and others. Subtitle bugs get patched in app releases, and mixing an old app with a newer Fire OS can cause odd behavior.
9) Reboot The Device
Hold Select and Play/Pause together to restart, or visit Settings > My Fire TV > Restart. A quick reboot flushes subtitle state in memory, which is why the fix often holds better after a restart.
10) Watch For Remote Or Profile Shortcuts
Some apps map a remote key to captions. If a family profile enables captions by default, the next play can flip them back on. Check profile language and subtitle defaults inside each service and set them to Off.
Can’t Turn Off Subtitles On Firestick? Try These Settings
Check For Forced Subtitles On Specific Titles
Documentaries, foreign films, and many series include forced on-screen text for translation or signs. That type is embedded in the video. Switching tracks or the CC toggle won’t hide it. The tell is simple: move to another title and see if the text follows. If it doesn’t, you’re looking at forced or burned-in text on that one program.
Compare App Behavior Across Services
Run the same step in two apps back-to-back. If one app respects the Off setting and another ignores it, the problem lives in the app that misbehaves. Fix it there with a cache clear, a reinstall, or a profile reset. If every app shows captions after you set Off, return to Fire TV’s Closed Captions menu and switch it Off again.
Use Clean Reinstall When Cache Isn’t Enough
For a stubborn app, choose Uninstall, restart the Firestick, reinstall from Appstore, and sign in. This replaces damaged local files and resets hidden flags tied to your profile. After reinstall, set Subtitles to Off during playback before starting the next episode.
Mind Older Hardware And App Limits
Very old sticks can stop receiving updates from some services, and that’s when strange subtitle quirks show up. If your device is first-generation, plan an upgrade so current apps and caption controls keep working as expected. Newer apps handle subtitle preferences more consistently.
App Paths Cheat Sheet (Firestick)
These quick paths help you reach the subtitle switch fast. Labels change with updates, but the structure stays similar.
| App | In-Playback Path | Menu Path |
|---|---|---|
| Prime Video | Options > Subtitles & Audio > Subtitles > Off | Fire TV Settings > Accessibility > Closed Captions |
| Netflix | Dialog > Subtitles > Off | Profile & Language settings inside the app |
| Hulu | Gear > Subtitles/CC > Off | Playback settings within your Hulu profile |
Prevent Subtitles From Turning Back On
Set Subtitles To Off Per Profile
Open each app’s profile manager and choose Subtitles: Off for that profile. Profiles remember this choice. When multiple people use the Firestick, each profile can keep its own default, which avoids surprise caption changes when someone else prefers CC on.
Use The Same Language For Audio And Subtitles
Pick the audio language you actually listen to, and set subtitles to Off or to the same language only when you want on-screen support. Mixed settings often re-enable CC on the next episode because the service tries to keep comprehension steady across an entire season.
Leave Closed Captions Off At The System Level
Fire TV’s Closed Captions switch acts like a master lever. Leave that Off unless you want captions in every app. When you do need them, turn them on in the app you’re watching, then set them Off again before you exit the player.
Keep Apps And Fire OS Updated
Turn on automatic updates in Appstore and check for Fire OS updates monthly. Subtitle switches rely on current media components and track metadata. Fresh builds keep those pieces in sync, which reduces random flips back to On.
When To Suspect A Service-Side Issue
If captions won’t disable for a single show across devices in your home, the service may have marked the track incorrectly. Report it through the app’s help link or feedback form. You can also test on a phone; if captions stick there too, your Firestick isn’t the problem and waiting on a content fix is the only path.
Quick Recap And Next Steps
Use the in-playback subtitle switch first, then set Fire TV Closed Captions to Off. Pick a non-CC audio track, clear an app’s cache if the change won’t hold, and keep your apps updated. When one service acts up, fix it inside that app. For direct reference, bookmark Amazon’s pages for Fire TV captions and Netflix’s guide on turning subtitles off. With those two and the steps above, “Firestick subtitles won’t turn off” turns into a one-minute fix instead of a nightly headache.