The Easiest Way to Add Subtitles to Android Videos: A Step-by-Step Guide

Key Takeaways

You can add subtitles to your videos using a built-in search option in apps like VLC and MX Player.

To enhance your videos, you have the option to manually incorporate a subtitle SRT file. Simply access your media player, navigate to subtitle settings, and choose "Open" to import the desired subtitle file. Moreover, you can modify the subtitle's visual characteristics, including text color, font size, and background.

Automatically Add Subtitles to a Video on Android

To efficiently obtain and download subtitles without exerting much time and effort, you can utilize an internet connection and a subtitle application. By employing this automated method, the need to manually search and retrieve subtitles is eliminated. Moreover, the subtitles will be seamlessly synchronized with the audio of your videos as the media player applications automatically adjust the timing and pace of the subtitles to correspond with the video playback.

You can try VLC and MX media player—that will do the most work for you.

Add Subtitle to a Video Using VLC Media Player

VLC is considered one of the best media players for Android devices, offering the ability to play nearly any local or network video. It supports a wide range of video formats including MKV, MP4, AVI, and MOV.

With VLC, you have the option to download and add subtitles directly to your favorite TV shows or movies. Additionally, you can personalize the appearance and position of the subtitle text through VLC settings, allowing you to easily synchronize the subtitles with the video.

To add subtitles to the video, open it in VLC Player. Simply tap anywhere on the screen, and a set of on-screen buttons will appear. Locate the subtitle icon, typically positioned in the bottom left corner, and tap on it to access the subtitle options.

Click on the small downward arrow to expand the "Subtitles" menu. Within this menu, there are multiple options available for selecting subtitles. To continue with the process of adding subtitles, simply choose "Download Subtitles."

VLC Player will initiate a search for subtitles that are currently available. In order to locate the most suitable match, it utilizes the video's title, filename, or other pertinent metadata.

Get a comprehensive list of available subtitles for download. Choose the appropriate subtitle that matches your video and seamlessly incorporate it by clicking on the adjacent download icon.

You can also choose a different language to search for the subtitles.

After downloading the subtitles, select the downloaded subtitle track from the subtitle settings.

Now, your video has subtitles to help you understand the dialogue.

If you notice any delay in the subtitles or want to make adjustments, you can use the subtitle delay option.

Add Subtitles to a Video Using MX Player

MX Player is a user-friendly media player that allows you to easily add subtitles to your videos. Similar to VLC, it offers the ability to directly download subtitles from online databases.

Moreover, MX Player supports a wide range of subtitle formats, including SRT, SUB, SSA, ASS, and others. You can also load subtitles from your device. In the settings menu of MX Player, you have the option to customize the appearance of subtitles by adjusting the font size, color, style, and alignment.

Open the MX player on your phone. Browse and play the video on which you want to add subtitles.

Now, look up to the top right corner and spot the three horizontal dots. Tap on those dots.

A menu will pop up. From there, choose the "Subtitle" option.

Next, hit the "Online Subtitles" option.

Click "Search" to kick off an automatic search for subtitles using MX Player's default settings.

The MX player defaults to searching for English subtitles, but you have the option to customize this for any other language. It automatically searches for subtitles based on the video name or metadata. For better accuracy and relevance, it is recommended to manually search by entering the main keywords from your video title using the manual search option.

MX Player will show you all the subtitles that are available for download. Simply check the box next to subtitles and hit the "Download" button.

Wait for the "Download Success" message to pop up. That means your subtitles are ready to roll.

Now, from the subtitle menu, select the subtitle track you just downloaded.

Subtitles will appear on your phone screen, keeping you informed on what's being said.

Manually Add Subtitles to a Video on Android

To gain greater control over adding subtitles to your videos, consider adding them manually. In certain cases, locating the specific subtitle file needed may be challenging for your media player. In such instances, opting for manual addition is the ideal approach.

To begin, download the subtitle file from one of the numerous subtitle websites accessible. Subtitle files are commonly accessible in formats like SRT, VTT, and SSA. You can download subtitles in these supported formats. Once obtained, you can effortlessly incorporate them into your videos using any media player of your choosing.

Using VLC Player

To add subtitle files manually—play your video using the VLC media player. After that, select the option "Select Subtitle File" under subtitles settings.

Next, browse and select the subtitle file from the file manager.

Your subtitle file will be added as a new track under the subtitle’s settings.

The selected subtitles will automatically apply to the video—if not, you can select them from the subtitle tracks list.

Using MX Player

Play the video using the MX player to burn the subtitle file to it. Open subtitle settings and select the "Open" option.

Now select the subtitle file from mobile storage.

A new popup will appear, requesting authorization to incorporate the new subtitles into the current track or entirely substitute them. Choose "Replace" to superimpose the updated subtitles onto your videos. This typically occurs when a subtitle track has already been chosen for the video.

You will see subtitles appear on your video in the MX player.

Using Subtitle Downloader

Alternatively, you have the option to utilize a specialized subtitle downloader to manually acquire and incorporate the subtitle file into your video. An effective choice is the Subtitle Downloader Android application, which facilitates the seamless search and download of subtitles.

Open the Subtitle Downloader application and select the "Videos" section. From the list of videos, select any video for which you want to download the subtitle.

From the menu, select the language and hit the "Download" button.

You can also select any other source for downloading the subtitles.

After the download is complete, you'll receive a message with the location of the downloaded subtitle file.

You can browse the subtitle file in your local phone storage. Open the video using any media player and add the subtitle track to it.

Subtitle vs. Captions: What’s the Difference

Are you uncertain about the term "captions" being used for some of your subtitle choices? Allow me to clarify, subtitles serve as a translation of spoken dialogue in a video or film. Their purpose is to assist viewers in understanding the content when it is in a language they are unfamiliar with. Subtitles are typically displayed at the bottom of your screen and are frequently employed for foreign-language films or shows.

Captions, however, extend beyond mere translation of dialogue. They encompass not only spoken words but also encompass sound effects, music cues, and additional audio details. The inclusion of captions in videos aims to guarantee accessibility for individuals with hearing impairments. Captions enable viewers to grasp the entirety of what transpires in the video, not solely the spoken conversation.