With iOS 26.4, Apple is improving the subtitle experience in the native video player on iPhone and iPad. The use of subtitles and captions in TV shows and movies is growing, both due to the popularity of foreign-language content and Hollywood’s inability to produce an audio track where the speaker is sufficiently intelligible.
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With iOS 26.4, Apple is improving the subtitle experience in the native video player on iPhone and iPad, while a similar change is also rolling out to Apple TV with tvOS 26.4.
With these new software updates, it's now possible to change the appearance of subtitles while watching your favorite TV show or movie. That's because Apple has redesigned the Subtitles menu in the native video player to include new controls for changing their style.
Previously, this menu allowed you to turn subtitles on or off and select the desired language for captions. Now, it includes a separate section for Style. The default Style options include 'Classic', 'Large Text', 'Text Outline', and 'Transparent Background'. Users can also create their own custom styles, choosing design options such as font, size, and color.
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All of these style settings were previously available through Accessibility Settings. But now, with iOS 26.4, they are directly accessible from within the context of the user's current activity, increasing awareness of the feature and making it more convenient to change styles on the go.
This new functionality is available as part of the system's native video player, so it's available in apps like Apple TV and when you're watching videos in Safari. Any third-party apps that use the native player will also automatically benefit from this upgrade.
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iOS 26.4 is currently in developer beta. It will likely be released to the public in March or April, although Apple has yet to confirm a timeline.
