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How to turn on subtitles on HBO Max on your computer or mobile device

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  • You can turn on subtitles on HBO Max through the "CC" — or Closed Captions — button on the service's mobile app and desktop site.
  • Click or tap the "CC" icon in the bottom playback bar once you begin streaming HBO Max content to enable or disable English-language subtitles. 
  • Depending on your device, you can style your captions through its accessibility settings or directly through HBO Max's "CC" menu.
  • Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.

Whether you're watching your favorite HBO Max show with or without subtitles, it's easy to turn the setting on or off anytime you'd like.

Turning on subtitles on the mobile app versus a computer looks almost the same. However, making changes to your subtitles preferences will depend on your device. 

If you want to change things like the language, size, color, or font of your captions on your smartphone, you'll need to access your Android or Apple device's "Accessibility" menu in the Settings app. On an iPhone, you can find it under "Subtitles & Captioning," while Android users can locate subtitle settings under "Captions Preferences." On the desktop site, HBO Max allows you to control the subtitles from the "CC" icon directly. 

Otherwise, you'll turn your subtitles off the same way you turn them on. You'll know whether they're enabled or disabled based on the button's background color. If the "CC" is outlined against a black background, then the setting is disabled; if it's filled in, the setting is turned on.

Here's how to turn your HBO Max subtitles on and off.

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How to turn on HBO Max subtitles on the mobile app

1. Open the HBO Max app on your phone. 

2. Find and select a movie or TV show you wish to watch, and begin playing it. 

3. Locate the button labeled "CC" in the bottom right-hand corner. If the bottom toolbar is not visible, tap on your screen to make it appear.

After your show plays for a few seconds without touching the screen, the toolbar will disappear for uninterrupted playback. Abbey White/Business Insider

4. Tap the "CC" icon, and subtitles should automatically appear. 

5. Turn them off, tap the "CC" button again.

Tap "CC" again to turn subtitles off. Abbey White/Business Insider

How to turn on HBO Max subtitles on the desktop site

1. Go to play.hbomax.com and log in to your account. 

2. Select a show or movie you'd like to watch from the HBO Max library. 

3. Once the show is playing, click the "CC" button. If the bottom toolbar isn't visible, click or move your cursor over the viewing window for playback options to appear.

After your show plays for a few seconds without touching the screen, the toolbar will disappear for uninterrupted playback. Abbey White/Business Insider

4. To enable subtitles, choose "On" and wait for the font to turn purple. 

5. To change the way your subtitles display, tap the gear icon beneath the "ON/OFF" option. 

The gear icon is labeled "Settings." Abbey White/Business Insider

 

6. In the pop-up that appears, you can set the font type, size, color, opacity, background, and caption style window at the top. Click each tab to select from its respective submenu.

Clicking each tab will reveal a submenu of font options. Abbey White/Business Insider

7. After you make your selections, a checkmark will appear next to your choice. 

8. Click the purple "Save" button to update and view your changes. You can also click the gray "Reset" button to restore your settings to their default.

9. If you decide you don't want to make any changes, you can click the "X" in the upper right-hand corner to close the window without saving.

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Marissa Perino Marissa Perino is a former editorial intern covering executive lifestyle. She previously worked at Cold Lips in London and Creative Nonfiction in Pittsburgh. She studied journalism and communications at the University of Pittsburgh, along with creative writing. Find her on Twitter: @mlperino. Read more Read less

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