To turn on subtitles on Max, start playing any movie or show and tap the screen to bring up the player controls. Then select the "Audio and Subtitles" icon, shaped like a speech bubble or "CC", and pick your preferred language under the Subtitles section.
How to turn on subtitles on Max during playback
The most direct way to turn on subtitles is while you're already watching something. Once a title is playing, tap or click the screen so the playback controls appear at the bottom. Look for the icon that shows a speech bubble or the letters "CC", this is the Audio and Subtitles button. Selecting it opens a menu where you can enable captions instantly. If you later need to turn subtitles off on Paramount plus, the same on-screen button approach works there too, and you can similarly turn off the subtitles on Disney plus using its own playback menu.
- Start any movie or episode on Max.
- Tap or click the screen to reveal the player controls.
- Choose the Audio and Subtitles icon (speech bubble or "CC").
- Under the Subtitles section, select your preferred language or "English - CC."
- Save your choice by tapping the "X" on mobile or web, or pressing the back button on TV devices.
This works across all supported devices, phones, tablets, smart TVs, streaming sticks, and web browsers. The setting applies to the current title immediately, so you don't need to restart playback. If you switch to another episode or movie, the same subtitle preference usually carries over unless you change it again.
Select your subtitle language
When you open the Audio and Subtitles menu, you'll see a list of available languages under the Subtitles heading. This is where you decide whether you want English closed captions (labeled "English - CC") or a translation track for foreign-language content. Scroll through the options until you find the one that matches your needs, whether that's a full translation or captions in the original language. For dubbed content, you can often pick subtitles that match the spoken audio or switch to a different language entirely. Once you make your selection, the subtitles appear on screen immediately, and you can close the menu to continue watching without interruption.
Customize subtitle appearance on Max.com
If you want to change how the subtitle text looks, not just the language, the web version of Max gives you the most control. Open Max.com in a browser, go to your profile, and navigate to Settings, then Subtitle Style. From there you can adjust the font, color, size, and opacity of the text. This is useful if you find the default subtitles too small, too faint, or hard to read against bright scenes.
Adjust font and color for better readability
Within Subtitle Style on Max.com, you'll see separate controls for each visual element. The font option lets you pick between standard and more rounded typefaces. The color setting changes the text itself, white, yellow, or other high-contrast shades. Size controls how large the captions appear on screen, and opacity adjusts whether the text is fully solid or slightly transparent. Experiment with these settings until the subtitles are comfortable for your eyes, especially if you watch in a dark room or on a small screen.
Change subtitle style on mobile and TV devices
On most mobile phones, tablets, and TV devices, Max doesn't have its own subtitle styling menu. Instead, the app follows the accessibility settings built into your device's operating system. This means that if you want to change the font, size, or color of subtitles on your Android phone, you'll need to go to your device's Settings, then Accessibility, then Caption preferences, and finally Caption style. On an Apple TV, the path is Settings, then Accessibility, then Subtitles & Captioning, and finally Style. Once you adjust these system-level options, the changes automatically apply to Max subtitles the next time you watch. This approach keeps the experience consistent across all apps on your device, not just Max.
For Android devices running version 11.0 or higher, the caption style menu lets you tweak text size, font family, and text color. On Apple TV, you can choose from preset styles or create a custom one that matches your preferences. If you're using a smart TV from Samsung, LG, or other manufacturers, check your TV's own accessibility menu, most modern TVs have similar caption settings that Max will respect. The key is to remember that the Max app itself doesn't override these device-level choices.
When subtitles won't turn off
There are some cases where subtitles stay on no matter what you do. Certain foreign-language films and special content on Max have "burned-in" subtitles, meaning the text is permanently embedded into the video itself, not added as a separate caption track. This typically happens with movies or shows that were originally produced with subtitles baked into the picture, such as some anime releases, classic international films, or exclusive specials. You'll know this is happening if the subtitles remain visible even after you select "Off" or "None" in the subtitle menu. Unfortunately, there's no workaround for burned-in subtitles, they're a permanent part of that specific version of the content. If this bothers you, check whether an alternate version of the title exists on Max, such as a dubbed release that might not have the embedded text.
