Do on-screen closed captions ever get in your way when watching TV? As helpful as they can be for some, captions are visual distractions for others.
Fortunately, Samsung makes it easy to disable closed captioning across your TV‘s inputs with just a few clicks of your remote.
In this guide, you‘ll learn step-by-step how to turn off captions on 10+ Samsung smart TV models. Soon you‘ll be enjoying movies, streaming shows, cable TV, disc media, and even broadcast programming blissfully caption-free!
Who Needs Closed Captions Anyway?
First, a quick primer – what exactly are closed captions and who uses them?
Closed captions are text transcriptions of the spoken dialogue and sounds that occur in videos, films, streaming and live TV. They are indispensible tools for:
- Viewers with partial or total hearing loss
- Anyone watching media in a foreign language
- Times when you need to watch quietly like late night or with sleeping children/spouses nearby
However, some perfectly able-bodied viewers simply find captions distracting or aesthetically unpleasing. The text can obstruct your view of the actual video footage.
If you don‘t rely on captions, it makes sense to hide them as Samsung allows. Just be aware anyone else in your household who needs captions will no longer have access either across inputs.
Now let‘s examine the methods available to access settings then disable captions on your Samsung TV!
Accessing the Settings Menus
Samsung smart TVs running Tizen OS offer multiple pathways to access main system settings. Let‘s compare routes whether you have your original remote or not:
| Access Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Remote Control Button | Press Menu, Home or Smart Hub button (may show small gear icon) |
| TV Side Panel | Press center joystick button on underside of TV bezel |
| Bixby Voice | Say "Hi Bixby, open settings" if Bixby assistant enabled |
| SmartThings App | View and control settings from your mobile device |
Of course the standard remote included with your TV is the easiest way to get started. But if you‘ve misplaced it, the TV panel buttons get the job done too.
Tip: Use phone camera flash to illuminate hidden panel buttons if needed!
Now let‘s examine exactly where to find the closed captioning controls buried within Samsung‘s settings menus.
Step 1: Navigate to General Settings
Once the main TV settings menu pops up, you‘ll see various categories like:
- Picture
- Sound
- Channels
- General
- Network
- Support
Navigate left or right and down to select the General icon. This contains key accessibility controls we need to locate.
But Samsung has varied UI layouts across models and years so let‘s get more precise…
Where to Find General Settings
If your TV is an older, pre-smart model the General category may display right away.
However newer 2016+ Samsung TVs with Smart Hub will first show you a simplified "Quick Settings" menu with things like:
- Eco Solution
- External Device Manager
- Caption Settings
- Accessibility Shortcuts
- And more
Tip: On late model TVs, Accessibility Shortcuts is the fastest path – choose it then skip to Step 3!
Either way, once you drill down to the full General menu, scroll down to select Accessibility next. Time to disable those captions!
Step 2: Access Caption Controls
Within General Accessibility settings you‘ll gain control of Samsung closed captioning among other accessibility features:
- High Contrast
- Enlarge
- Caption Settings
- Multi-Output Audio
- And more
Go ahead and choose Caption Settings in this sub-menu. We‘re getting close now!
Exact Menu Paths to Captioning Controls
To be crystal clear, here are the precise routes to take across Samsung TV series:
2022 Model Steps
- Open Settings Menu > General > Accessibility Shortcuts
- Select Caption Settings
2018-2021 Model Steps
- Navigate to Settings Menu > General > Accessibility
- Choose Caption Settings
Tip: taking mockup screenshots on your phone makes these menu paths super easy to visualize and follow!
Step 3: Toggle Captions Off
This last menu contains the magical controls to enable/disable closed captions, configure languages and customize styles.
First, locate the Caption Mode setting and highlight it:
- Caption Mode – Choose Off to disable captions
- Digital Caption Options – Customize text style, colors, size
- Caption Language – Set preferred language like English
With Caption Mode highlighted:
- Press select button
- Choose Off option
And voila! You have now successfully turned off closed captions on your Samsung TV. Give yourself a nice pat on the back!
Customizing vs Disabling Captions
Rather than turning off Samsung captions entirely, you also have options to customize their appearance in the same menu area:
- Change text colors and opacity under Digital Caption Options
- Set font face, size and styles
- Personalize background colors and transparency
Adjusting these instead of disabling can allow viewers who need descriptions to still benefit, while reducing clutter for those bothered by captions.
Pro Tip: White text with a solid black background offers maximum contrast. Boost text size if needed.
You should also explore the Caption Language setting. Switching languages avoids turning off captions for foreign films and shows.
Video Description vs Closed Captions
Here‘s an extra trick up Samsung‘s accessibility sleeve – Video Description narrates actions, facial expressions and scene details audibly for the visually impaired.
Think of it like Books on Tape for TV!
This handy feature works alongside traditional dialogue-focused captions, so one can be disabled while leaving video description active if desired.
Availability does depend on the app, channel or input source having both tracks encoded. But it‘s great for those who truly require the aids.
Remote Button Shortcuts
Savvy Samsung owners may know certain remote controls include a dedicated CC/Subtitles button to toggle captions on/off instantly.
This avoids menus entirely! However, it‘s only present on older Samsung remotes. If you don‘t see one – no worries, use the step-by-step method above instead to gain control of closed captioning.
Recap: How to Turn Off Captions on Samsung TVs
In summary, here is the 3-step process to disable closed captions on your Samsung Smart TV:
- Access System Settings Menu
- Navigate to General > Accessibility > Caption Settings
- Choose Caption Mode > Off
And presto! You are now enjoying distraction-free shows, movies and more. No more pesky text ruining your view.
We hope you found this guide helpful for managing Samsung closed captioning to meet your exact preferences. Please leave your feedback in the comments!
