Increase YouTube Closed Caption Font Size With This Surprisingly Easy Accessibility Hack
Closed captions are popping up everywhere. Captions on large screens at sports bars and airport lounges allow viewers to follow events when the sound is drowned out by ambient chatter.
Interestingly, Gen Z is more likely than their elders to consume video with closed captions enabled.
But depending on the circumstance (like room size or screen size), not all viewers may be able to easily read the caption text. Did you know that you can change the font size on YouTube closed captions?
You can easily make your presentations accessible by increasing the font size of closed captions on Youtube videos.
Unfortunately, YouTube does not advertise this functionality. That’s too bad, because the legibility of closed caption text makes a good thing (closed captions) even better.
Why Use Closed Captions?
You probably know that it’s a best practice to only show videos with closed captions.
Closed captions provide learners with hearing impairments and audio processing differences with access to spoken content, and, if done correctly, information about the non-spoken aural environment as well. (For example: “rain falls outside” or other helpful context.)
Language learners also benefit from seeing a textual representation of spoken words.
Closed captions improve retention as they provide multimodal (audio and text) representation of the material.
Follow these steps to increase the font size of closed captions on YouTube.
Step 1: Enable Closed Captions
Make sure the YouTube video has closed captions by selecting the “CC” closed caption option along the bottom of the YouTube video player.
Take a minute to check that the closed captions are accurate. You’ll be able to tell the difference between the error-ridden automated (software) transcriptions and the far more accurate human authored captions.
Pro Tip: You can also enable captions by pressing the “c” key on your computer keyboard.
Step 2: Select the Settings option
After you have confirmed that the video’s closed captions are correct, select the Settings option.
(Hint: The Settings option is shaped like a cog and it’s located to the right of the closed caption CC option in the YouTube video player.)
Step 3: Select the Subtitles/CC option
Now that you’re in the Settings dialog, select Subtitles/CC.
Step 4: Select Options
You’re presently in the Subtitles dialog. (Don’t worry, it’s also the place where you can adjust closed captions.)
Click on Options
Step 5: Click the Font Size link
Selecting the Font Size option will pop up several alternative font sizes.
Step 6: Choose a Font Size
You’ll be presented with a variety of size options from 50% to 400%. Consider the room size, needs of your learners and how the captions interact with other visual elements in the videos.
Enjoy the Results
Celebrate the fact that you just made the educational content you use more accessible to more people.
