How to change the subtitle style on a Mac

howtosimply.com/guides/how-to-change-the-subtitle-style-on-a-mac/ · Checked October 2026 · MacBook Pro · macOS Tahoe 26

5 of 5 steps with real screenshots · 2 official sources below

Device

Mac

Shown on

macOS Tahoe 26 (MacBook Pro)

App

System Settings

Path

System Settings › Accessibility › Captions

Real screenshots

5 of 5 steps

Checked

October 2026

Sources

2 official, linked below

Step by step

1. 

   Open System Settings

   Click the Apple menu in the top left corner of the screen and choose System Settings.

   Done

2. 

   Click Accessibility, then Captions

   Accessibility is in the sidebar. Captions is in the Hearing group on the right.

   Done

3. 

   Click a style

   Four built-in styles are listed. The picture above the list previews the selected one with the line: Subtitles will look like this.

   Done

4. 

   Create your own style if you like

   Click the plus button below the list to create a style. The minus button deletes a style that you added.

   Done

5. 

   Prefer closed captions

   With Prefer closed captions and SDH on, the Mac uses closed captions or subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing in place of standard subtitles, if they are available.

   Done

If you do not see this option

• The row is called Subtitles and Captioning Apple’s current guide names it Subtitles and Captioning, under Hearing. Our Tahoe 26 picture shows it as Captions. Source: Use subtitles and closed captions on Mac
• The minus button is grey Apple says the minus button deletes only styles you added. In our picture only the four built-in styles are listed and it is grey. Source: Change Captions settings for accessibility on Mac

If this does not work

• A video keeps its own subtitle look Apple says to deselect Allow video to override in your style, so your style is used. Source: Use subtitles and closed captions on Mac
• Prefer closed captions changes nothing Apple says closed captions and SDH are used only when the video has them. Source: Change Captions settings for accessibility on Mac

About this guide

Subtitles in videos on a Mac follow one system-wide style. If they are too small or hard to read against the picture, choose another style or create your own.

The screenshots show System Settings on macOS Tahoe 26.

Good to know

Show automatically when languages do not match, on in the picture, shows subtitles when the language of the video is not your preferred system language.

In short: System Settings, Accessibility, Captions, click a style.