YouTube subtitles on Xiaomi smartphones can appear unexpectedly, whether it’s automatically generated text, forced subtitles (embedded in video) or custom titles from the content creator. If you encounter a problem where subtitles do not turn off in the standard way or return after a video restart, this guide will help you understand the reasons and offer 5 proven methods for all Xiaomi models (including Redmi Note, POCO, Mi 11/12/13) on MIUI 12–14 and Android 11–14.
Feature of firmware MIUI This is because it has additional accessibility settings that sometimes conflict with YouTube's own settings, such as if the system has activated Live Subtitles (Settings). → Special opportunities → Live subtitles, it can automatically turn on text tracks even when subtitles are turned off in the app. We will look at both the basic ways to disable via the YouTube interface and the hidden Android settings that most users do not know about.
It's important to consider that some videos (like those with licensed content on Netflix or Disney+ uploaded to YouTube) contain forced subtitles that can't be removed without turning off the audio, in which case only replacing the audio track or using alternative players will help, but for 90% of the content, our methods will work.
1. Standard disabling of subtitles in the YouTube app
Start with the most obvious way, check the subtitles settings directly in the YouTube player, which works for most videos except those where the subtitles are hardcoded.
Instructions:
- Open the video in the YouTube app.
- Tap the screen once to allow controls to appear.
- Click on the Subtitles icon (rectangle with text) in the upper right corner.
- In the menu that appears, select “Off” (or “Off” if you have the English version).
If the subtitles continue to show after these actions, the problem lies deeper.
- 🔄 App cache: Settings could have gone wrong due to damaged cache.
- 📱 System Subtitles: Live Subtitles feature is included in MIUI.
- 🎬 Forced subtitles: Titles are sewn into video and not controlled through the interface.
2. Clearing YouTube cache and data
A damaged app cache is one of the most common reasons why subtitles don’t turn off or return after a video is rebooted. In MIUI, the cache can conflict with your Google account settings, especially if you use multiple accounts.
How to clear the cache:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find YouTube on the list and tap it.
- Select "Storage» → «Clear the cache».
- If the problem persists, click Clear Data (be aware that this will reset all of the app’s settings, including history and downloads).
Once the data is cleaned, you have to log back in to your Google account and set up notifications, which helps in 70% of cases when subtitles get stuck in the enabled state.
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If the subtitles are back after clearing the cache, try removing YouTube updates through Settings → Apps → YouTube → Three Dots → Remove Updates. This will reset the app to the factory version, but it will update automatically the next time it launches.
3. Disable Live Subtitles in MIUI
The MIUI Live Captions feature automatically recognizes speech in any app and displays text on the screen, and it can conflict with YouTube subtitles by dubbing them or including text where it shouldn't be.
How to turn it off:
- Open the Settings. → Special facilities.
- Go to the “Hearing” section (or “Signatures” in new versions of MIUI).
- Find the Live Subtitles option and move the slider to the Off position.
- For reliability, also disable Automatic Signatures in the same menu.
This feature is useful for people with hearing impairments, but often interferes with ordinary users, and once it is disabled, YouTube subtitles will be controlled only by the settings of the app itself.
What to do if there is no “live subtitles” item?
4. Checking YouTube's language settings
Sometimes subtitles appear because of the wrong language in YouTube settings, for example, if the main language of the account is English and the video is uploaded with Russian subtitles, the app can automatically turn them on to help the user.
How to set up:
- Open the YouTube app and tap on the profile avatar in the upper right corner.
- Select “Settings” → “General”.
- Check the language section – your native language (e.g. Russian) should be listed here.
- Go back and go to Subtitles → turn off the “Show Automatic Subtitles” option.
Also, pay attention to the settings of a specific video:
- 🌐 Click on the gear icon (“Settings”) in the player.
- 📝 Select “Subtitles”/CC» → «No».
- 🔄 If subtitles still appear, try changing the video language to another and returning it back.
5. Use of alternative players
If YouTube subtitles are not disabled in any of the above ways, the problem may be in the video itself. Some videos contain embedded subtitles (hardcoded) that are part of the picture and are not controlled through settings.
Method 1: VLC player
- 📥 Install. VLC for Android from Google Play.
- 🔗 Copy the link to the video on YouTube (click on Share» → «Copy the link»).
- 🎬 V VLC select “Network» → insert.
- 🔕 In a player. VLC Subtitles can be disabled via the Audio and Subtitles menu» → «Turn off subtitles».
Method 2: NewPipe
NewPipe is an open-source YouTube client that allows you to download videos and disable any subtitles, including forced ones. APK.
Download APK from the official website [newpipe.net]
Allow installation from unknown sources in Settings → Applications → Special Access → Installation of unknown applications
Install APK and open NewPipe
In search enter the title of the video and choose the option without subtitles
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6. Resetting special features settings
If none of these methods worked, the problem could be Android system settings, and MIUI has a reset feature that will return all associated options to factory values.
How to reset:
- Go to Settings. → Special facilities.
- Slip on the three points in the upper right corner (or "More").
- Select “Resetting special features settings”.
- Confirm the action.
This method will remove all of your personal availability settings, including:
| Setting up | That he'll drop. |
|---|---|
| Live subtitles | Shut down completely. |
| Extension of text | It'll go back to standard size. |
| Color correction | Reset to default values |
| Screen reversal | It'll turn on if it's off. |
| Accessibility hotkeys | All user combinations will be removed |
After reset, reboot your phone and check YouTube — the subtitles should disappear. If not, the last option is to reinstall the app or reset the phone to factory settings (extremely).
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Before resetting special features settings, write down the current settings (e.g., take a screen picture) to quickly restore them later.
Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Many Xiaomi users have the same problems when trying to disable subtitles, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:
Error 1: Subtitles are back after the video restart
⚠️ Warning: If you use YouTube Premium, check your account settings on youtube.com under the Subtitles section, sometimes with the option “Always Subtitles” enabled, which syncs with the mobile app.
Error 2: No Subtitles button in the player
So that means that the video doesn't have any text tracks, or it's embedded in the picture.
- 🔍 Check the video on PC – if subtitles are there, then they are forced.
- 🔊 Turn off the sound – sometimes it removes the subtitles (if they are tied to the audio track).
- 📥 Download the video via Snaptube or NewPipe and play it in another player.
Error 3: Subtitles are displayed in another language
YouTube can automatically select the subtitles based on:
- 🌍 System language (Settings) → Additionally. → Language and input).
- 📌 Google Account Language (configured at myaccount.google.com).
- 📍 Regions in YouTube settings (in the application profile).
To fix it, set the same language in all three places.