Crunchyroll is the largest and most acclaimed platform for watching new and already released anime in the West. Subtitled episodes of shows get released outside of Japan within a couple of hours from their original release. If you are gearing up for the newest weekend release, want to catch up on an old show, or experience anime in a more authentic form, read this article to learn how to use the subtitle and closed caption feature.
The Quickest Way to Turn on Subtitles
Crunchyroll tries to keep its video user interface consistent between web, mobile, and app versions. Start by clicking on a video. A gear icon should appear on the screen’s top-right or top-left corner. Click the gear icon, click “Subtitles/CC,” and lastly, pick your language option.
Keep This in Mind When Using Subtitles
Crunchyroll rarely has server-side issues with their caption function and video player, so if you cannot get the caption function to load or work, it probably is not an issue with their video service. Some shows do not have subtitles and only have closed captions; most have dubbed and subbed versions listed separately.
Different Ways of Fixing Your Subtitles
Crunchyroll is supported on a myriad of different devices: Browser, Mobile Browser, Mobile App, Desktop App, Game Console App, and TV App (Streaming Players and Smart TV). There are two ways to turn on or change subtitles on each of these devices. The first way is to change subtitles while watching a video, and the second way is to automatically turn on subtitles by going into your account preferences menu.
Crunchyroll accounts do not have the option for sub-accounts. This means that if you change your subtitle option in the account preferences menu, it will automatically update for all devices. For example, if you have a PS4 and change your subtitle language to Spanish in your account preferences menu, the next time you watch Crunchyroll on your laptop, your subtitles will be in Spanish.
Computer Browser
For any of the methods explained, begin by logging into your account. From there, choose a video that you know supports subtitles. Once the video loads up, hover your cursor over it, move it to the gear icon in the bottom right corner, and then click. A box titled “Subtitles/CC” should now pop-up; click that box and change your subtitle language.
To permanently change your subtitle language, click your account icon. Your account icon is located on the top right corner of any Crunchyroll webpage. Then click “My Account,” which should be listed in the drop-down box that is now open. On the newly loaded webpage, scroll down until you see the “Video” section on the “Preferences” page. You should see “Subtitle Language” with an option already chosen. Click the option already chosen and change it to your desired language.
Mobile Browser
On the mobile browser, you can choose to use the full-site or mobile-optimized version of Crunchyroll. The previous section explains how to turn on subtitles in the full-site version.
Click the video screen during an ad or live video to begin. Next, click the gear icon in the top right corner. Your video will pause, and you will be able to click on “Subtitles/CC” to change your subtitle options.
Changing your subtitle option permanently through the mobile browser is the same as changing it on a web browser.
Mobile App
When changing subtitles in the mobile app, wait until your ad is over. Then click anywhere on the video player once, then click the gear icon in the top right corner. A page called “Playback Settings” should pop up. From there, click “Subtitles/CC” and choose a language.
To change subtitles permanently in the mobile app, click the account icon on the right side of the bottom icon bar. On the account page, an option called “Subtitle Language” should be listed under the “General Section.” Click “Subtitle Language” to change your language.
Different Ways of Fixing Your Subtitles
If there is an issue with the Crunchyroll player, try to reload the page by doing “CTRL+SHIFT+R” (PC) or “CMD+SHIFT+R” (Mac). These two button commands reset a webpage while saving cached content, which means that certain data and information are temporarily saved while you reset the page. You can also try to reset the current page without cached information by doing “CTRL+R” (PC) or “CMD+R” (Mac).
Other people have fixed subtitle issues by turning off their VPN or ad-blocker. Crunchyroll, like other streaming services, offers different programs in different regions. While accounts aren’t tied regionally, and the eight caption languages are supported in all regions, VPNs can cause various error codes and problems.
Another way of potentially fixing subtitle issues is by updating your computer in various ways. Updating the Crunchyroll app, your web browser, and Adobe Flash Player are all known methods of fixing any streaming service.
Fully logging out of Crunchyroll and resetting your device may also work. If this doesn’t work, try switching web browsers or devices.
You can also contact Crunchyroll customer support, who will tell you if the issue is personal or server-side and will let you know how and when it will be solved. The anime community is very active on social media, so if subtitles are down on Crunchyroll, people likely will post about it.
How do I get Japanese subtitles on Crunchyroll?
Many people who are learning Japanese want to watch anime with Japanese subtitles and look to Crunchyroll to fill that need. Unfortunately, Crunchyroll does not directly offer Japanese subtitles.
Crunchyroll officially provides subtitles and closed captions in the following languages: Arabic, English, French, German, Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil), and Spanish (Spain, South America).
With the use of third-party tools like Tampermonkey, Jimaku Player, Substital, ABSPlayer, and Kitsunekko, you can upload Japanese subtitles to Crunchyroll. Some of these plugins also support subtitles in other languages. However, not all shows have subtitle transcripts online for you to upload and match to the video. Additionally, Crunchyroll doesn’t formally condone or support the use of third-party plugins.
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