Closed captions and subtitles are essential for accessibility and for watching foreign-language films. However, if you are watching a movie in your native language and the subtitles suddenly turn on by mistake, the constant flash of white text at the bottom of the screen can completely ruin the cinematic experience, drawing your eyes away from the actors.
Amazon Prime Video allows you to toggle subtitles on and off at any time. Because Prime Video is available on almost every device imaginable—from web browsers and smartphones to smart TVs and gaming consoles—the exact method changes slightly depending on what screen you are staring at, but the core icon is always the same.
The Universal Icon to Look For
Regardless of the device you are using, you must look for the Subtitles and Audio icon. Amazon standardizes this icon across all platforms. It looks like a small speech bubble or a rounded square containing several horizontal lines, resembling text.
How to Turn Off Subtitles on a Computer (Web Browser)
- Start playing your movie or TV show on Primevideo.com.
- Move your mouse anywhere over the video player. This will cause the playback controls (play, pause, timeline) to appear on the screen.
- Look at the top right corner of the video player for the Subtitles and Audio icon (the speech bubble).
- Click the icon. A menu will drop down, divided into two columns: Audio (left) and Subtitles (right).
- Under the Subtitles column, click on Off at the very top of the list.
- The menu will close, and the text will immediately disappear from the screen.
How to Turn Off Subtitles on a Smart TV, Roku, or Firestick
Because you don’t have a mouse, you must use your physical remote control to summon the on-screen menu.
- While the movie is actively playing, press the Up arrow (or the OK/Select button in the center of the directional pad) on your remote control.
- The playback timeline will appear at the bottom of the screen, and several icons will appear at the top or bottom corner.
- Use the directional arrows on your remote to navigate to the Subtitles and Audio icon (the speech bubble) and press Select.
- Navigate to the Subtitles section.
- Highlight Off and press Select.
- Press the Back or Return button on your remote to close the menu and resume watching.
How to Turn Off Subtitles on the Mobile App (iOS / Android)
- While the video is playing on your smartphone or tablet, gently tap the center of the screen once.
- The playback controls will appear. Look in the top right corner for the Subtitles and Audio icon.
- Tap the icon.
- A menu will slide up from the bottom of the screen. Under the Subtitles section, tap Off.
- Tap anywhere else on the video to close the menu.
Why Are the Subtitles Still Showing?
If you followed these steps, confirmed the setting says “Off,” and you still see subtitles on the screen, you are likely experiencing “hardcoded” or “forced” subtitles.
If characters in an English movie suddenly start speaking Russian for one specific scene, the director intentionally burned English text directly into the video file so the audience understands the plot. These are called forced narratives. Because they are part of the actual video image, not a separate text file, they cannot be turned off by the Prime Video player settings.