It’s a unique experience to watch your favorite shows and movies along with subtitles. If you can’t hear the dialog, subtitles are always there to help you understand the conversation. You don’t want to miss out on a crucial storyline because you were too caught up in the action. They are also useful in noisy places or for persons who are hard of hearing. On the other hand, users frequently encounter issues with subtitles when watching Netflix content, and not being in sync is undoubtedly something they need to fix.
If you’re a fan of Netflix, you’ve probably noticed that sometimes the subtitles are unsynchronized with the movie or show you’re watching. This can be frustrating, especially if you’re trying to follow along with the dialogue and miss important parts because the subtitles lag. Luckily, there are a few ways to fix this problem. A key solution involves adjusting the subtitle playback speed on Netflix, for instance.
1. Sign Out of Your Netflix Account to Solve Unsynchronized Subtitles
Re-signing to Netflix is one of the most basic methods for resolving various issues with the platform. Doing so may fix minor setbacks and bugs causing the Netflix app or website to display missing subtitles. Try the following steps through a web browser to log out from Netflix on all devices:
- Visit the Netflix website.
- Select your profile in the upper-right corner.
- Go to your “Account”.
- Scroll down to the Settings, and proceed to “Sign out from all devices.”
- Press the Sign out button.
You’re all set. All you have to do now is to sign back into your Netflix account on your desired streaming device. Make sure the subtitles are operating correctly once again.
2. Fix Netflix Subtitles Not in Sync Issue by Installing Software Updates
You probably know by now that an app bug is the most common reason for Netflix subtitles to go wrong. In this case, Netflix developers can help you out with the problem. They provide a solution by releasing an update that includes all necessary fixes. Generally, the steps to check app updates are similar across all streaming devices:
- Visit the Store the Netflix app was downloaded from.
- Head to the Netflix app page.
- Tap the Update button to finish updating the pending ones. App Store will also offer collective updates for multiple apps.
3. Restart Netflix or Refresh Your Web Browser
The Netflix video stream may have started incorrectly. Consequently, the subtitles may be late, out-of-sync, or absent. If the techniques above don’t work for you, we recommend restarting the Netflix app or refreshing your browser’s Netflix session. It’s recommended to use this quick restart to reset the subtitles based on the three methods listed below:
3.1. Reload the Netflix Web Page
Simple reloading the Netflix web page on a PC may be all it takes. The process for refreshing the Netflix site with any browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge) are same:
- Press the “Refresh” button on the web browser
- Press the Ctrl + R key (for Windows) or the Command + R key (on macOS)
3.2. Hard Refresh the Netflix Web Page
This step is designed to not only reload the page but also avoid any minor cache concerns. It uses a simple approach to delete Netflix’s page cache and force it to reload the up-to-date version.
- On most web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge), press the Ctrl + F5 keys simultaneously to force a hard refresh on Netflix.
- For macOS: On all the browsers including Safari, press the Command + Option + R key altogether.
3.3. Restart the Netflix App
Rebooting Netflix on your phone, tablet, set-top box, or Smart TV is similar. Follow the approach as shown below:
- Remove the Netflix app from your Recent Apps or App Switcher first. If you’re using Android devices or other set-top boxes, you can force stop the app through your device’s Settings.
- Open the Netflix app from your homepage or app list again.
4. Change the Netflix Subtitle Settings
Subtitles can occasionally be missing or stop working simply because of subtitle setup errors. Eventually, they are placed outside the display stream or with an incorrect format. This can be corrected by customizing Netflix subtitles to suit your device. It’s been reported that some people like to play around with these options. While some buttons may be positioned differently, most streaming devices use the same method. Follow the steps below to configure Netflix subtitles.
4.1. Toggle the Subtitles Off and then On
It’s recommended to turn off the subtitles first, then turn them back on. This helps guarantee that the subtitles are in sync with the video and audio of the program. The goal of this step is to reset the subtitles stream.
- Go to the Netflix video player and select the dialog or subtitle icon in the top-right corner. (It is at the bottom right for PC users.)
- Note: While the Backspace button on Roku TV is used to go back, the B key on Xbox One is utilized to navigate forward. This takes you to the information panel, where you can select “Audio & Subtitles”.
- The subtitle menu will appear.
- Now, under “Subtitles”, deselect your desired language again.
- Repeat the process a few times.
In addition, try switching from one language to another to see if it improves the subtitle stream’s accuracy. Alternatively, some series provide a CC (closed-caption) version of subtitles, which you should also attempt to fix in case Netflix subtitles are not in sync.
5. Change the Netflix Subtitles Appearance
There are three ways to alter the way Netflix subtitles look to fix them not being in sync:
5.1 Web Browsers (Windows & macOS)
Start by going to your Netflix Account page in the browser. Now:
- Proceed to Profile & Parents Controls.
- Choose a profile you wish to change.
- Select the node with the green checkmark, and opt for Change Subtitle Appearance.
- Select the preferred subtitle appearance options for your device.
- Press the “Save” button.
5.2. On Apple Devices (iPhone and iPad)
If you own an iPad or an iPhone, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings and tap Accessibility.
- Under the Hearing segment, tap “Subtitles & Captioning”.
- Turn on “Closed Captions + SDH”.
- Select Style.
- You can pick your preferred subtitle appearance from the following menu.
5.3. For Android Devices
The steps to enable closed-captioning and change the subtitle style may differ by Android version or device model. The process, however, is usually similar for every android device.
- Head to the Settings app and tap “Accessibility.”
- Select “Caption Preference.”
- Enable “Use captions.”
- Decide on your favorite subtitle style settings in the “Caption preferences” menu.
6. Check Your Network Streaming Permissions
You may be away from home, i.e., attempting to view Netflix shows at school, workplace, or in public places. The administrator may have unintentionally blocked streaming services like Netflix for security reasons. Double-check that streaming services are allowed on your network. Otherwise, connect your device to your device if you’re using a different internet connection, such as mobile data, to watch Netflix.
7. Test and Improve Your Internet Speed to Stream Netflix Subtitles
If your Netflix subtitles aren’t working, your Wi-Fi connection may be weak or unstable. Despite them being simple text at the precise time, performing a quick and simple internet speed test to verify that your connection is up is a good option.