Fix missing, incorrect or mistimed subtitles

Work out which subtitles you are seeing

Before changing anything, identify whether the words come from an embedded track, an OpenSubtitles download or the picture itself. An embedded track belongs to the video; a downloaded file is a separate selection; burned-in words are part of the video image.

This distinction saves time. You cannot turn burned-in words off with a subtitle setting, and a timing adjustment will not turn the wrong episode's downloaded dialogue into the correct one.

Check the simple causes first

1. Confirm the title, season, episode and source edition.
2. Open the player's Subtitles controls, or the native player's subtitle menu.
3. Choose a suitable embedded track if one exists. Play a short dialogue scene.
4. If using a download, inspect its language and release or file description. Choose a result matching the actual video.
5. If nothing appears, check Settings → Playback → Subtitle Language. None deliberately starts videos without subtitles.
6. Only after those checks, adjust timing or appearance.

Changing the preferred language cannot create a track absent from the file or an unavailable subtitle-service result.

Distinguish a fixed offset from a wrong release

If every line arrives the same amount late, use Subtitle Timing → Earlier where your player offers that control. If every line is early, use Later. The verified control changes the offset by 100 milliseconds per step and displays the current value.

Use Reset Timing to return to zero before testing another file. Timing controls depend on the playback path; do not assume the same panel exists in every native-player configuration.

If the gap grows over time, or changes after an advert break or an extra scene, choose a subtitle matched to the correct release. A fixed offset cannot repair different editing or running speeds throughout an entire film.

Read OpenSubtitles errors

API Key Required means the optional service needs configuration in Settings → Sources & Services → Subtitles & Skipping. Save the credentials before using Verify OpenSubtitles.

No Matching Subtitles can result from the title identity, selected languages or filters. If CC/SDH results were excluded, use Include CC Subtitles when offered. Closed captions may include sound descriptions and speaker information as well as dialogue.

OpenSubtitles Unavailable should be read with its specific message. Account allowance and service availability are separate from embedded-track playback. Use Retry Search after addressing the indicated problem, rather than downloading many unrelated releases.

Make the selected track readable

Open Settings → Subtitles to adjust Size, Weight, Colour, Text Edge Style, Background, Opacity and Vertical Position. Use the preview, then check an actual dialogue scene.

Size and vertical position stay on that device. The native embedded-caption path supports regular or bold weight, with Semibold using bold. If the selected font is unavailable, Odyssey uses System on that device.

Keep original ASS styling preserves supported styling embedded in ASS/SSA subtitle cues. Animated and karaoke effects are not supported by the internal text renderer. Choose Reset to Defaults if a combination of changes becomes difficult to assess.

Two subtitle files, one useful comparison

A downloaded subtitle is correct for the first scene but ten seconds late after a scene that is absent from your video. Reset any timing adjustment and compare the release name with your source. Choose a file for the shorter cut if one is available.

Test the opening and a later scene before deciding it matches. A file aligned at one timestamp can still be wrong elsewhere. If an embedded track exists, comparing it is usually the fastest way to rule out the external subtitle file.

Other common questions

Why are two sets of words visible? One may be burned into the picture, or an external selection may be active alongside a different presentation. Explicitly turn off the downloaded selection and test an embedded track alone. The native menu offers Turn Off OpenSubtitles.

Why did captions disappear when casting? Check whether the chosen route supports the downloaded file. AirPlay can offer a deliberate subtitle-free fallback.

What should I send support? State embedded or downloaded, the episode and edition, the player/device, the observed timing pattern and a non-sensitive release description. Do not send source credentials.