FIXED: 8 Solutions for Crunchyroll Subtitles Not Working

Imagine the scene: the anime protagonist is locked in an epic battle, emotions are running high, you’re on the edge of your seat, hanging on every word, and suddenly, the subtitles decide to play hide and seek with you. We’ve all been there.

The problem is frustrating and not so simple to figure out why. Now, the problem isn’t merely inconvenient; it’s a puzzle. It doesn’t come with a manual or a straightforward solution. In this post, let’s take a look at a variety of different solutions you can try when Crunchyroll subtitles are not working on your laptop, smartphone, or TV.

How to Fix Crunchyroll Subtitles Not Working

There are plenty of reasons why your subtitles aren’t working on Crunchyroll. Fortunately, we’ve analyzed all of them and compiled this list of solutions that should you have covered no matter what your issue is. These solutions cover a mix of both mobile and desktop/laptop devices.

1. Relaunch the App & Restart Your Phone

Relaunching the Crunchyroll app is effective for clearing temporary glitches and resetting the app’s state. Restarting the app closes all existing processes, offering a clean slate for a fresh start. Here’s a simple guide on how to do it:

1. Close the application using the navigation buttons or gestures.
2. Access the Recents menu, either by swiping up from the bottom of your screen or by pressing the dedicated recents button in your navigation bar (Android only).
3. Remove the app from memory by swiping up on it, or just tapping the Close/Clear All button (Android only).
   

   

4. Launch the app again.

Restarting your phone on top of this will refresh everything so that when you relaunch the app, any temporary issues resolve themselves on their own. We have a dedicated guide on how to turn off any phone that you can check out, then just hold the power button to turn it back on.

Read More: How to Restart Phone without Power Button (Android & iOS)

2. Verify Subtitle Availability

Whether you’re on mobile or website, make sure the anime you’re watching on Crunchyroll actually supports subtitles. Some might not have subtitles at all. If that’s the case, consider exploring other shows or checking for updates on subtitle availability. It’s a quick step to ensure you’re not troubleshooting a non-existent issue.

To check whether the anime you’re watching has subtitles or not, simply glance over to the player’s toolbar and click/tap on the Settings icon, then the Subtitles/CC option.

3. Check Subtitle Settings

One of the most common reasons subtitles don’t appear while watching shows is because they aren’t enabled in the first place. It’s easy to overlook, and we often wonder why it isn’t working. Sometimes, subtitles need to be manually enabled each time you play a video.

Enable Closed Captions on Mobile:

1. Open the Crunchyroll application on your smartphone, whether it’s an iOS or Android device.

2. Access the Account section by tapping on the profile icon located at the bottom-right corner.

   

3. Scroll down on this page, find and tap on the option labeled Show Closed Captions. 

4. On the next page, toggle the option ON for Show Closed Captions.
   

Enable Closed Captions on Desktop (Web):

1. On a web browser, go to the Crunchyroll website and sign in to your account.

2. Visit the My Account page by clicking on the Avatar button in the top-right corner.

   

3. On this page, under Preferences, toggle the switch next to Show Closed Captions to enable subtitles if it was previously disabled. You’ll find the dot to the right indicating it’s enabled.
   

   

Enable Closed Captions on TV:

1. Open the Crunchyroll app on your TV and begin playing an episode.

2. Locate the subtitles icon on the right side, resembling a message. Use your TV remote to press the button.

   

3. Verify whether subtitles are enabled for any language. If not, navigate with your remote and select your preferred language.

4. Toggle Subtitles on and Off

Toggling the subtitles off and then turning them back on can effectively address temporary issues or glitches that may occur on the backend. This action essentially refreshes the system, providing it with another opportunity to reload and display the subtitles accurately.

1. Click on the Settings icon, located at the bottom right corner of the video player, for the video you’d like to watch and are experiencing subtitle issues.

   

2. In the dropdown menu, find and tap on Subtitles/CC. Select None to disable the subtitles.
   

   

3. Repeat the process, but this time, instead of choosing None, select the language in which you want the subtitles to be displayed.

5. Disable VPN

Turning off your VPN can help if Crunchyroll subtitles aren’t working. VPNs mask your geographical location confusing Crunchyroll about where you are, which maybe causing subtitle issues.

Content is very often region-specific due to licensing agreements and a VPN might trigger content restrictions. Moreover, VPNs can also slow down your internet, making subtitles load slowly. Though do note that, it’s a trade-off between fixing subtitles and giving up a bit of privacy.

Read More: What is the Difference Between a Proxy and VPN

6. Clear Browser Cache

Clearing the browser cache while troubleshooting issues with crunchyroll is a logical idea since cache stores temporary data from websites, which might include subtitles. Over time, this stored data can become outdated and cause problems. By clearing the browser cache, you force the browser to fetch the data (captions) freshly from Crunchyroll’s servers.

We have a dedicated guide on how to clear Cache in any Windows browser that you can check out, but we’ll include Chrome here since it’s the most popular option:

On Chrome:

1. Launch the Chrome browser and click on the three-dotted icon on the top-right corner.
2. Next, with your cursor, hover over the More tools option and choose Clear browsing data.
   

   

3. This will lead you to a new window; on the page, choose the time range you’d like to clear the cache for; we recommend you set it to All time.
4. Uncheck the other options, other than Cached images and files, and finally click on Clear data.
   

   

Read More: How to Clear Cache in Microsoft Edge

On Safari:

1. Open Safari browser and click on “Safari” in the menu bar, next to the Apple logo. Then choose Settings/Preferences based on the macOS version you’re running.
   

   

2. Head to the Privacy tab and tap on the button that says “Manage Website Data…“.
   

   

3. In the new window, click on “Remove All” to clear all stored website data. Select “Remove Now” when asked for confirmation.
   

   

7. Update the Crunchyroll App

Updating the Crunchyroll app is crucial, especially when a previous update may have impacted subtitle functionality. App updates typically encompass bug fixes, security enhancements, and improvements designed to address issues such as subtitles not playing correctly.

On iPhone:

1. Open the App Store on your iOS device and tap on your profile picture in the top-right corner.
2. Tap on “Purchased” and scroll down to find Crunchyroll in the list.
3. If there’s an Update button next to Crunchyroll, tap it to install the latest version. If you don’t find an option for Crunchyroll, the app is likely already on the latest version.

   

On Android:

1. Open the Google Play Store on your Android device and tap on your profile picture.
   
2. Select Manage apps and devices and tap on See Details or Update all. The latter option updates all your apps on the device.
   

   

3. If you choose See details, on the next page, find Crunchyroll in the list; if there’s an Update button, tap it to install the latest version.
   

   

8. Trick with Two Tabs on Crunchyroll

If you’re having trouble understanding what characters are saying in Crunchyroll, try this easy trick. Open two tabs in your internet browser—one for sound and one for subtitles. This way, you can catch every word.

• In the sound tab, choose the language you prefer.
• In the other tab, turn off the sound and let the subtitles run, making this your main tab where you also watch the video.

Read More: The 7 Best Web Browsers For Every Kind of User

Conclusion

Crunchyroll subtitles not working is in fact a frustrating issue, though we’ve got you. From checking settings to toggling subtitles, updating the app, and even a clever dual-tab trick—there’s a solution waiting. If you’re still facing issues, don’t hesitate to reach out.