What Is Closed Captioning? Explained

What closed captioning is

Closed captioning is a way of displaying the audio portion of video content as text on the screen. The word closed means the captions are hidden by default and can be turned on or off by the viewer, as opposed to open captions, which are always visible. Closed captions typically present spoken dialogue and can also describe other relevant sounds, making the content accessible without sound.

Captions versus subtitles

Closed captions and subtitles are related but not identical. Subtitles generally assume the viewer can hear and focus on presenting the dialogue, often for translation. Closed captions are designed with accessibility in mind and may include descriptions of non-speech audio, such as sound effects or who is speaking. This extra information helps convey the full audio experience to someone who cannot hear it.

Who closed captioning helps

Closed captioning is especially important for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, giving them access to content they could not fully experience through audio alone. It also helps many others: people watching in a noisy place, in a setting where they must keep quiet, or anyone who finds reading along helpful. Because it can be turned on or off, it serves these needs without affecting viewers who do not want it.

How closed captions work

Closed captions are carried along with the video as data that a player or display can turn into on-screen text when the viewer enables them. Because they are separate from the picture itself, they can be shown or hidden on demand, and in some cases adjusted. This separation is what distinguishes closed captions from open captions, which are permanently part of the image and cannot be turned off.

Closed captioning and accessibility

Closed captioning is a key accessibility feature across television, streaming, and online video. By making audio content available as text, it broadens who can access and enjoy media. Its importance has grown as video has become central to entertainment, information, and communication, and providing captions is widely regarded as an essential part of making content inclusive for all viewers.

Why it matters

Closed captioning makes video content accessible to far more people by turning its audio into readable text that can be switched on when needed. Understanding what closed captioning is - toggleable on-screen text of dialogue and sound - clarifies how it differs from subtitles and why it matters. For anyone who watches or makes video, closed captioning is an important concept.

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See also: Streaming quality explained: 4K, HDR, bitrate, Streaming devices explained: how to choose.

Sources

• Closed captioning - Wikipedia

Published date reflects the original event date (2023-05-02). This article is original Skillo editorial written from the sources above; facts were verified in September 2026.