You can finally change the size of Netflix's subtitles on your TV
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- Netflix added customization options to subtitles on TVs.
- Subscribers can tailor subtitle text size and select between four text styles.
- This customization could make shows more accessible to viewers with visual or hearing impairments.
Ever wish you could make Netflix's subtitles larger — or smaller — on your TV?
Well, now you can, thanks to a new update that began rolling out this week.
Subscribers will be able to adjust subtitle text size to small, medium, or large, and choose among four text colors and styles, including: drop shadow (the default white text), dark (white text on a black background), contrast (yellow text on a black background), and light (black text on a white background).
Netflix
You can change the subtitle style by clicking the settings gear icon on the menu.
These customizable options are also similar to those offered by other streaming platforms including Disney Plus, Hulu, HBO Max, and Amazon's Prime Video.
The expanded subtitle offerings could make shows more accessible to Netflix viewers who have visual or hearing impairments, and auditory processing and cognitive disorders, as The Verge pointed out.
But this update could also remedy complaints about poor audio quality on streaming platforms. Some 55% of Americans said it was harder to hear dialogue in shows and movies, according to a 2022 study cited by The Verge from Preply, which surveyed over 1,200 Americans.
Subtitles have also gained in popularity, particularly on streaming services. According to the same survey, 50% of Americans watch content with subtitles, and 62% used subtitles more on streaming platforms than on regular TV.