How to Turn On Subtitles in PikaShow and Fix Subtitle Problems

Subtitles help in more situations than most viewers expect. They help when dialogue is quiet, when accents are unfamiliar, when you are watching in a noisy room, and when you want to follow a story without turning the sound up late at night. In PikaShow, subtitles are controlled inside the player, and the options available can depend on the title and on the source being played. This guide shows you how to switch subtitles on, how to change the language and appearance, and what to do when subtitles do not show, do not match the speech, or appear in the wrong language.

Before you change anything, start with a title you know well, and play it for a minute with the sound on. That gives you a reference point for whether the words on screen match what you hear. If you test subtitles on a title you have never seen, you will not know whether a mismatch is a subtitle fault or simply dialogue you misheard. Use the PikaShow download page to check you have the version the site states as latest, because the site states that v94 is its latest version, and older builds can behave differently in the player. Note the title you are testing, because subtitle availability varies from one title to another.

How to switch subtitles on during playback

Start playback, then tap the screen once to show the player controls. Look for a subtitle control, which is often marked with a speech bubble, the letters CC, or the word Subtitles. Tap it, and a list should appear. That list may show a language, such as English, and an Off option. Choose the language you want, then tap outside the list or press back to return to playback. The subtitles should appear at the bottom of the screen within a few seconds. If the list is empty, the title or the source you are playing may not offer subtitles, and you will need to try a different source or a different title, as explained below.

On a television, the steps are similar but the controls are reached with a remote. Press a direction or the centre button during playback to show the controls, move to the subtitle control, and select a language with the remote. On a computer running the app inside an emulator, use the mouse to click the same control. The wording and position of the control can vary a little between devices, but the idea is the same: the subtitle choice lives in the player, not in the main app settings. If you cannot find the control, pause playback, wait a moment, and tap the screen again, because the controls hide themselves after a short time.

To switch subtitles off, open the same list and choose Off or None. That setting usually applies to the title you are watching, and it may not carry over to the next title. If you always want subtitles on, check the app settings for a default subtitle option, and set it there if one is offered. If no default option exists, you will need to switch subtitles on for each title. That is a small extra step, but it becomes habit quickly, and it avoids the surprise of starting a film without subtitles when you need them.

Choosing a subtitle language

The languages offered depend on the title and on the source. Some titles offer only one subtitle language, some offer several, and some offer none. Open the subtitle list and read it carefully before you assume a language is missing. A language may be listed under a slightly different name, or it may appear only after the player has loaded the source fully. Wait for playback to settle before you open the list, because opening it too early can show an incomplete list. If your preferred language is not listed, try another source for the same title, because different sources often carry different subtitle tracks.

If subtitles appear in the wrong language, you may have selected the wrong track, or the track may be labelled incorrectly by the source. Open the list again, choose a different language, and watch for a minute to see whether it matches. If every track is in the wrong language, the source itself is likely at fault, and another source is the best fix. Do not keep changing device language settings to chase a subtitle language, because the device language does not decide which subtitle track a source offers. The track list in the player is the place to change it.

For viewers who use subtitles in a language they are learning, it helps to watch a familiar title first, where you already know the story. That way, a subtitle that lags or uses unusual wording stands out, and you can judge whether the track is usable. If you watch with family, agree on a language before you start, because changing tracks during a film can interrupt the flow. Note which sources give you the language you need, so you can choose them first next time.

Changing subtitle size, colour and position

Subtitle appearance is often controlled by the player or by the device, rather than by a single setting in the app. In the player, look for a settings or gear control, and then for subtitle or caption options. Some players let you change size, colour and background, while others offer only on and off. If the player offers no appearance options, check your device caption settings. On Android, open Settings, then Accessibility, then Caption preferences, and set the size and style there. Many apps follow those system settings, so a change there can affect subtitles in PikaShow as well.

Choose a size that is easy to read from where you sit. On a phone, a medium size is usually enough, because the screen is close. On a television, a larger size is often needed, because you sit further away. A subtitle with a dark background or outline is easier to read over a bright scene, while plain white text can disappear over a pale background. Test your choice on a scene with both dark and light parts, and adjust it before a long viewing. If you share a device, remember that a change in system caption settings can affect other apps too, so tell other users what you changed.

Subtitles that do not match the speech

A subtitle that is a few seconds early or late is one of the most irritating faults in any player, because you read the words before you hear them, or after you have already guessed them. If the delay is small, try pausing for a few seconds and playing again, because the player can resynchronise when it buffers. If the delay is large, the subtitle track itself may be out of step with the video file, and no setting on your device will fix it. Try another source for the same title, because a different source will often have a correctly timed track. Note the source that worked, so you can choose it first next time.

Some players offer a subtitle delay or sync control, often in the same settings menu as the track choice. If yours does, adjust it in small steps, such as half a second at a time, and test it on dialogue rather than on music or sound effects. A large adjustment in one go can make the fault worse, and you will lose track of the original setting. If no sync control exists, changing the source is the practical fix. Restarting the app and the device can also help when a subtitle fault appears suddenly on a title that worked before, because it clears a temporary state in the player.

When no subtitles are available

If the subtitle list is empty, the title or source simply may not carry a subtitle track. That is common for older or less common titles, and it is not a fault with your device. Try another source, try another title to confirm that subtitles work at all, and check whether the problem affects every title or only one. If subtitles work on other titles, the fault is with that title or source. If they work nowhere, restart the app, clear its cache, and check the device caption settings, because a system setting can sometimes hide subtitles across apps.

Do not download subtitle files from unrelated sites to chase a missing track, unless you understand the risks and the app supports loading them. Files from unknown sources can be mislabelled, out of sync, or bundled with unwanted content. A better approach is to choose a source that already includes the track you need, or to watch a different title that does. For more help with playback in general, see the troubleshooting guides on this site, and for device setup, see PikaShow for Android, PikaShow for PC and PikaShow for iOS.

Want subtitles that work? Start from the Download PikaShow page, open a familiar title, and use the player subtitle control to choose your language.

Frequently asked questions