How to Set Up Accessibility Features on Your Streaming Apps

This guide covers the accessibility settings on Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Apple TV+, and Peacock – including how to find them on smart TVs, mobile devices, and streaming sticks.

What Accessibility Features Are Available

Before diving into the how-to, it helps to know what you're actually looking for. The main accessibility tools available across most streaming platforms fall into a few categories.

Subtitles and closed captions (CC) are the most widely used. Closed captions include not just dialogue but also sound descriptions like "[dramatic music]" or "[door slams]" – useful for deaf or hard-of-hearing viewers and anyone watching in a noisy environment. Most platforms let you customize caption appearance: font size, color, background opacity, and positioning.

Audio descriptions (AD) are a separate audio track where a narrator describes visual elements of the scene between lines of dialogue – what characters look like, what's happening on screen, key visual storytelling. These are available on most major platforms for a growing library of content, though not every title has them yet.

Dubbed audio tracks are separate from audio descriptions but worth mentioning here – they let you switch the spoken language of a show entirely, which some viewers with hearing differences find easier to follow alongside captions.

Some platforms also offer playback speed controls (useful for rewatching dense dialogue at a slower pace) and screen reader compatibility for navigating menus.

Netflix

Netflix has one of the more flexible caption customization systems available. To access it, start playing any title, tap or click anywhere on the screen to bring up the playback controls, then select the speech bubble or "Audio & Subtitles" icon. You'll see options for both language and subtitle style.

To customize how captions look globally – not just for one show – go to your account settings. On a browser, log into Netflix, click your profile icon, go to Account, scroll down to Profile & Parental Controls, click your profile name, then select Subtitle appearance. From here you can adjust font size, color, background color, and opacity. These settings apply across all devices where you're signed into that profile.

For audio descriptions, select the AD-labeled audio track in the same Audio & Subtitles menu. Netflix has been steadily expanding its AD catalog – look for the headphones icon on content thumbnails, which indicates audio description is available for that title.

On a smart TV or streaming stick, the same Audio & Subtitles menu is accessible through the remote's down button during playback, or through the three-dot menu depending on your device.

Disney+

Disney+ keeps accessibility settings in a fairly accessible location. During playback, tap or press the screen to open playback controls, then select the speech bubble icon in the upper right corner. This opens the Audio & Subtitles panel where you can switch between available caption languages and audio tracks including audio descriptions.

Caption appearance customization on Disney+ is handled at the device level rather than within the app itself on most platforms. On iOS and Android, this means going to your phone's system settings under Accessibility and adjusting Subtitles & Captioning (iOS) or Caption preferences (Android). Disney+ will pick up those system-level settings and apply them to its captions. On Apple TV, the same system-level caption appearance settings apply.

If you're on a Roku or Fire TV, caption style customization lives in the device's system accessibility settings rather than the Disney+ app menu.

On a Roku: Settings > Accessibility > Captions mode and style. On a Fire TV: Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles > Caption Style.

Max (HBO Max)

During playback on Max, tap the screen and look for the CC icon or the gear icon – it varies slightly by device. Selecting it brings up subtitle and audio options including any available audio description tracks.

Max's caption appearance settings live in the app's main settings rather than in playback. On mobile: tap your profile icon, go to Settings, then look for Accessibility or Subtitle Settings depending on your app version. On a smart TV or streaming device, the same path applies through the Max app settings menu. Max supports customization of font size, style, and color, though the specific options are less granular than Netflix's system.

Audio descriptions on Max are available for an expanding library. Look for the AD designation in the playback audio menu when it's available for a specific title.

Amazon Prime Video

Prime Video has a slightly different layout. During playback, press up on your remote (or tap the screen on mobile) to bring up the top bar, then select the speech bubble icon or "Subtitles" option. This opens a panel with subtitle language options and audio tracks.

Caption appearance on Prime Video is customizable within the app. On mobile, go to My Stuff > Settings > Subtitle and Audio. On a Fire TV device, you can access subtitle styling through Settings > Accessibility > Subtitle Settings at the system level, which Prime Video inherits. On a smart TV with the Prime Video app, look in the app's own settings menu under your profile.

Prime Video has a feature worth knowing about specifically: Dialogue Boost. It's available on select content and enhances the volume of dialogue relative to background noise and music – genuinely useful for viewers with hearing difficulty. To find it, go to the Audio options during playback and look for "Dialogue Boost: Low, Medium, or High." It's one of the more thoughtful accessibility features on any streaming platform right now.

Hulu

Hulu's caption settings work similarly to others – during playback, tap or click to bring up controls and select the CC icon or gear icon to open subtitle and audio options. Subtitle language selection and audio description tracks are accessible here when available.

Caption customization on Hulu lives in the app's account settings rather than a per-playback menu. On mobile: go to the Account tab, then Player Settings, then Subtitles to adjust font, size, and color. On a web browser, the same settings are accessible at hulu.com/account under subtitle preferences.

Hulu's audio description availability varies more by title than some competitors, but the library has expanded significantly. The AD track will appear in the audio options during playback when it exists for a specific show or film.

Apple TV+

Apple TV+ benefits from being closely integrated with Apple's platform-level accessibility features, which are among the best in the consumer electronics space. On an Apple TV device, accessibility settings go deep: go to Settings > Accessibility on the Apple TV itself to find options for captions, audio descriptions, reduced motion, and more. These settings apply across all apps including Apple TV+.

During Apple TV+ playback, swipe down on the Siri Remote (or press the down button) to access subtitles and audio options mid-show. Audio descriptions for Apple TV+ originals are consistently available and the quality is notably high.

On iOS and iPadOS, the system Accessibility settings under Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles & Captioning apply directly to the Apple TV+ app. Caption appearance options include font, size, style, and background – and you can preview changes in real time before applying them.

For Macs, the Caption preferences in System Settings (under Accessibility) control how captions display in the Apple TV+ app.

Peacock

Peacock's accessibility options are on the lighter side compared to some competitors, but the basics are there. During playback, select the CC button to toggle captions on or off and choose a subtitle language. An audio description track option appears in the audio menu when available for a specific title, which is less consistently available on Peacock than on Netflix or Apple TV+.

Caption customization on Peacock is primarily handled through device-level settings rather than the app itself. On Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV, the caption style settings in the device's system accessibility menu will apply to Peacock's captions. On mobile, your iOS or Android system caption preferences will carry through.

Platform-Level Accessibility Features to Know About

Beyond the individual apps, the devices you stream on have their own accessibility settings that can significantly improve the experience across all your apps at once.

On an Apple TV: Settings > Accessibility includes closed captions, audio descriptions, zoom, bold text, increased contrast, and VoiceOver for navigating menus without seeing the screen. This is one of the most comprehensive device-level accessibility suites available on a streaming device.

On a Roku: Settings > Accessibility covers Caption mode (always on, on replay, or off), Caption style, and a Screen Reader for navigating Roku menus. The caption settings here will apply to most Roku channels.

On a Fire TV: Settings > Accessibility includes VoiceView screen reader, Closed Captions, and font size scaling. Fire TV's caption settings apply globally across apps that use the standard Android media framework.

On Android TV / Google TV: Settings > Accessibility offers Caption preferences, Text-to-Speech, and Magnification. The caption settings here are inherited by most streaming apps on the platform.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The most common mistake is customizing captions within a single show's playback menu and assuming those settings will persist across everything. On many platforms, in-playback subtitle selections don't save globally – you need to go into account or app settings to make permanent appearance changes.

Not checking device-level settings when an app doesn't offer enough customization is another one worth knowing. If an app's built-in caption customization feels limited, your TV, streaming stick, or phone's system accessibility settings often give you more control, and those settings apply platform-wide.

Expecting audio descriptions to be available for every title will lead to frustration. Coverage varies significantly by platform and title age. Newer originals from major platforms almost always have them; older licensed content is more inconsistent.

Finally, if you're setting up accessibility features for someone else – an elderly family member, a family member with a visual or hearing impairment – it's worth doing a test run together on a short piece of content to make sure the settings are landing correctly before they try to navigate it independently. Caption font sizes that look fine on a 65-inch TV can be too small on a 40-inch one, and what feels readable in a setup menu doesn't always translate to a fast-paced scene.

FAQ

Can I have subtitles on by default on every platform? Yes, on most platforms. Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video all let you set subtitle language preferences that turn them on automatically. On Netflix: Account settings > Profile > Subtitle appearance and language. On others, look for playback or language settings in the account section of each app.

Why don't audio descriptions work on every show? Audio descriptions have to be recorded as a separate audio track, which requires production time and budget. Platforms are required to offer them on a certain percentage of their catalog under accessibility regulations in many markets, but they're not yet universal. Original content from major platforms tends to have better coverage than licensed third-party content.

Can I make subtitles larger without going into settings? On some platforms, yes. Netflix allows font size adjustment directly from the playback subtitle menu on some devices. On Apple TV, increasing the caption font size in device settings applies globally immediately. On others, you'll need to go into the app or account settings.

What is the difference between subtitles and closed captions? Subtitles typically display only dialogue and assume the viewer can hear the audio. Closed captions include dialogue plus descriptions of non-speech audio elements like music, sound effects, and speaker identification. CC is the better option for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Do these settings transfer between devices? For platform-level settings like Netflix's subtitle appearance, yes – they're tied to your profile and apply wherever you log in. For device-level settings like Apple TV's caption preferences, no – those stay on the specific device. You'd need to set them up again on a new device.

Accessibility features in streaming have come a long way, and the difference between default settings and a properly configured setup is significant. Spending fifteen minutes going through the settings covered here – on whichever platforms you use most – is one of the easiest ways to make your viewing experience noticeably better.