Netflix just introduced a new way to experience subtitles that eliminates the need to read audio cues like “door slams” or “phone rings.”
Announced on Thursday, Netflix’s new dialogue-only subtitles can be enabled by going to “Navigate to Audio” and then “Subtitles.” Users will see an option labeled “English” instead of “English (CC),” indicating that it’ll only include spoken words.
This option complements the existing closed captions (CC) that cater to the deaf and hard of hearing community, which include both spoken dialogue and important audio cues such as sound effects and music indicators.
The dialogue-only subtitles, however, offer a streamlined alternative, displaying only dialogue without the additional context.
This new option is a response to the growing popularity of subtitles. According to Netflix, nearly half of all viewing hours in the U.S. are spent with subtitles turned on.
Dialogue-only subtitles are now available for the new season of “You” and will soon appear on other new Netflix original titles in every language the streaming service offers.
Lauren covers media, streaming, apps and platforms at TechCrunch.
