Amazon Prime Video Subtitles Not Working — What It Means & How to Fix It

What Does This Error Mean?

If Amazon Prime Video subtitles are not showing, they are most likely turned off in the player settings. During playback, tap the speech bubble icon (or CC button) to open the subtitle menu and select your language. If subtitles are enabled but still not appearing, the app needs a refresh or the specific title may not have subtitles in your language. Restarting the Prime Video app usually resolves display glitches.

Affected Models

Amazon Prime Video Web
Amazon Prime Video Android
Amazon Prime Video iOS
Amazon Fire TV
Amazon Fire Stick

Common Causes

Subtitles are turned off in the Prime Video player — they do not default to on for all users
The subtitle language is set to a language other than the one you expect to see
The specific title does not have subtitles available in your preferred language
The Prime Video app has a display glitch preventing the subtitle track from rendering
Your Fire TV or smart TV accessibility settings are interfering with the subtitle display

How to Fix It

During playback, tap the screen to show player controls. Tap the speech bubble or CC icon. Select your preferred subtitle language from the list.

On Fire TV remotes, press the Up button on the D-pad during playback to access the subtitle and audio track menu.
Check your Prime Video subtitle settings. On the web, go to primevideo.com > Account & Settings > Subtitle & CC Preferences. On the app, go to Settings > Accessibility > Closed Captions.

Global preferences set here apply across all titles on your account.
Verify the title has subtitles. On the Prime Video title page, look for 'Subtitles' in the details section. If your language is not listed, Prime Video does not have that language for that title.

Licensed content sometimes has subtitle restrictions that limit available languages to the original release languages.
If subtitles are enabled but invisible, check the subtitle color and background settings. Go to your device's Accessibility settings > Captions and verify the style is visible (white text on dark background is standard).

On Fire TV: Settings > Accessibility > Closed Captions. On Android: Settings > Accessibility > Caption Preferences.
Clear the Prime Video app cache and restart. On Android: Settings > Apps > Prime Video > Storage > Clear Cache. On Fire TV: Settings > Applications > Prime Video > Clear Cache and Data.

Clearing data logs you out. Sign back in with your Amazon account credentials.
Update the Prime Video app to the latest version. Visit your device's app store and check for updates to Amazon Prime Video.

App updates frequently fix subtitle rendering bugs introduced in previous versions.

When to Call a Professional

Prime Video subtitle issues require no professional help. This is entirely a settings or app configuration issue that you can fix yourself. If a title you need is missing subtitles, report it through Prime Video feedback so Amazon can add them in future updates.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I change subtitle font size on Prime Video?

On Fire TV: Settings > Accessibility > Closed Captions > Caption Styling — you can change size, color, and font. On Android: Settings > Accessibility > Caption Preferences > Caption Style. On the web browser, subtitle styling is controlled by your device's system accessibility settings rather than Prime Video itself. Changes to caption styling apply to all apps that use the system caption renderer, not just Prime Video.

Why are Prime Video subtitles always a few seconds behind the audio?

Subtitle sync issues in Prime Video are usually a playback buffer problem. Stop the video completely and restart from the same point — this forces audio and subtitle streams to re-sync. If sync issues persist on a specific title, it may be an encoding error in that title's subtitle track. Report persistent sync issues using the feedback button during playback so Amazon can fix the file.

Does Prime Video have subtitles for all content?

No — not all titles have subtitles in all languages. Prime Video Originals generally have the most comprehensive subtitle coverage. Licensed content (movies and shows not produced by Amazon) may have limited subtitle options depending on what rights Amazon acquired. If you need subtitles for accessibility reasons, check the title's detail page for the CC badge before starting to watch.