Disney+ faces backlash over subtitles that won’t turn off during Dancing With the Stars premiere

When the latest season of “Dancing With the Stars” premiered on Disney+, fans expected thrilling performances, sparkly costumes, and plenty of drama for a live dance contest. Many were caught off guard by subtitles that wouldn’t disappear. Even if people turned off the app’s captions settings, a lot of users reported that during the premiere, they were sitting on an image with subtitles blocking their view, and no option to remove them.

The issue was also being reported on TVs, streaming boxes, and mobile apps, so it wasn’t limited to one device. Taking to social media, fans were miffed as they insisted the continuous writing ruined their viewing pleasure, by being a hindrance to performances and ruining visual moments. Many people find that subtitles are useful or essential, but only when they are chosen by the spectator.

Disney+ said that they were investigating the problem, but people are currently frantically trying to find solutions. Others are still stuck with subtitles covering the Dancing With the Stars performers' faces, lighting, and costumes, even though some people found that changing the firmware or device settings helped. The platform's focus on dependable toggles and accessibility options is being scrutinized more than ever as the problem grows.

Why the subtitle issue hits deep for Dancing With the Stars fans

Accessibility should be improved by subtitles, but when they can't be turned off, people grow frustrated. The permanent text overlay may cost viewers time on Dancing With the Stars, a show that emphasizes dance routines, clothing, and visual expression.

The inaccuracy affects both the art and the experience, whether it diverts attention from the choreography or masks emotional beats. This is how viewers are being impacted, what could be causing it, and what Disney+ has to say about the solution.

Viewer frustration & viewpoint disruption

Supporters immediately pointed out that Dancing With the Stars' swirling costumes, gestures, and lighting cues were all covered with subtitles. Choreography is more than just movement in shows like this, and the narrative is weakened by subtitles.

Some people looked through the app's settings, but they couldn't find the subtitle toggle. Others found that turning off the subtitles at the device level was the only way to fix them because they were baked in for some devices. People are wondering if this is a software problem, an update error, or a mistake in the pre-launch quality testing because of the inconsistent performance across platforms.

Disney+ response & steps users can take

Disney+ confirmed the situation through official channels and said they were looking into issues that were being reported on some platforms. In the meantime, a few possible solutions have been floated in tech-support posts and community forums: reinstalling the app, updating the device firmware, and switching between subtitle/caption options in the device settings and within the app.

Some users reported success by turning off caption tracks that are automatically enabled by regional settings or by switching between the video output modes (HDMI and streaming device). These workarounds aren't official fixes, but they do benefit some people, and not everyone has the technical know-how or access to try them. A permanent fix that honors subtitle settings on all compatible devices is still being pushed by viewers for Disney+.

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Watch Dancing With the Stars on ABC.

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