The use of subtitles and subtitles in TV shows and movies is increasing, both due to the popularity of foreign language content and Hollywood’s inability to produce an audio track where the person speaking is sufficiently intelligible.
With iOS 26.4, Apple is improving the subtitle experience in the native video player on iPhone and iPad, and a similar change is rolling out to Apple TV with tvOS 26.4…
With these new software updates, it is now possible to change the appearance of subtitles while you are in the middle of watching your favorite TV show or movie.
This is because Apple has redesigned the subtitle menu in the native video player to include new controls for changing their style.
Previously, this menu allowed you to enable or disable subtitles and select the desired subtitle language. Now, it includes a separate section for Style.
Default style options include Classic, Large Text, Outline Text, and Transparent Background. Users can also make their own custom styles, choosing design options such as font, size and color.
All of these style settings were previously available by digging into Accessibility Settings. But now, with iOS 26.4, they’re easily accessible from the context of what the user is currently doing; increasing feature awareness and is more convenient to change styles on the fly.
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 watching videos in Safari. Any third-party apps that use the native player will also be able to automatically take advantage of this upgrade.
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.
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