If you are trying to watch something on Prime with subtitles on but can't seem to get them to work or are having issues with them being out of sync. This article will guide you through a few different steps you can take to solve the problem. Before you start messing around with things in this guide, check if the problem affects other videos. It's quite common for specific content to have issues. So there's no point messing things up if the issue is with a single piece of content.

Takeaways:

  1. Check whether subtitles are available for the specific movie or episode before changing your TV settings.
  2. Learn how to check whether the problem affects a specific title or is more widespread.

How to Fix Amazon Prime Video Subtitles Not Working on Smart TV

A missing subtitle option does not always mean there is a problem with your TV or the app. Some movies and episodes don't have the option for subtitles, and some don't include all the languages you are used to.

  • Open the affected movie or episode and look for the CC or Subtitles icon.
  • Then test another episode and a completely different title.
  • If subtitles work elsewhere, the problem might be limited to that title or subtitle track.
  • If captions fail across multiple supported titles, you can start the steps shown below.
  • The same goes for any out-of-sync subtitle tracks as well.

Reselect the Subtitle Track

Sometimes Prime Video will allow you to turn on subtitles, but they won't display or will be out of sync.

  • Start the movie or episode.
  • Press OK, Enter, or the centre button on your remote.
  • Open CC, Subtitles, or Audio & Languages.
  • Choose your preferred subtitle language.
  • If it is already selected, turn subtitles off, wait a few seconds, then enable them again.
  • Test another available language before switching back.

Check Subtitle Appearance and Language Settings

Subtitles might be working but are difficult to see because of their size, colour, background, or caption style might be messed up.

  • Open Prime Video's Subtitles Settings if your TV provides the option.
  • Restore a simple, readable preset and test playback again.
  • On Roku TVs, caption appearance may be controlled through the Roku settings instead.
  • Open Settings, find Accessibility or Captions, and restore the caption style to a readable default.

Check Your Prime Video Language Preferences

Prime Video also stores language preferences at the app and profile level.

Open the Prime Video settings and check the app language. Then edit the active profile and review Streaming languages. Add the languages you normally use before reopening the affected title and selecting the subtitle language manually.

Refresh Prime Video and Your Smart TV

If nothing has worked so far, it's time to make sure that everything is up to date. There might have been a bug that has since been fixed.

  • Close Prime Video completely.
  • Turn the TV off and unplug it for at least 60 seconds if practical.
  • Turn the TV back on.
  • Install any available TV firmware or operating system update.
  • Update Prime Video through the TV's app store.
  • If possible, uninstall and reinstall Prime Video.
  • Sign back in and test several titles.

Test the Subtitle Track on Another Device

Open the same title on a phone, tablet, streaming device, or browser. Select the same subtitle language and compare the result. If the same subtitle track fails on multiple devices, report the issue to Prime Video. Include the title, season and episode if applicable, subtitle language, TV model, app version, and whether the track works elsewhere. The problem is clearly on Amazon's end, and nothing you do will fix it.