This iOS 18 feature needs to be copied by YouTube and Netflix

When you’re going to watch a video on your iPhone, what’s the app you turn to? My guess is, in most cases, it’s YouTube. How about on your Apple TV? Probably Netflix. But in iOS 18 and tvOS 18, Apple has added a key subtitles feature to its own TV app that I hope inspires YouTube and Netflix to copy it ASAP.

Auto-subtitles on rewind: where have you been all my life?

Back at WWDC when Apple first demoed tvOS 18, it highlighted a really small feature that seemed set to make a big difference when watching videos.

This new feature will automatically activate subtitles, temporarily, when you skip back in a video.

And I must say, where has this feature been all my life?

If you’re an Apple TV user, you’ll know that this sounds very similar to one of the long-time best tvOS features. For years, the Apple TV has supported asking Siri, “What did she say?” if you missed a bit of dialogue. The assistant then rewinds 10 seconds and activates subtitles temporarily.

Now, you don’t have to make that request anymore.

Instead, your device will now just assume that if you’re skipping back, it’s because you missed something. So it puts subtitles on-screen for 10 seconds automatically.

New subtitle feature available across iOS 18, tvOS 18, and more

Fortunately, this new subtitle feature isn’t limited to the Apple TV.

Auto-subtitles on rewind is baked into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia too. You can try it in the beta releases, or wait until next month’s public launch.

I’ve been using it all summer, and it’s a fantastic addition.

The feature is simple and performs flawlessly. There’s not much to say about it, other than that it currently only works in Apple’s own TV app. Which makes sense, since Apple doesn’t get to control how other video apps function.

But I hope this feature inspires YouTube, Netflix, and other popular video apps to copy Apple. Maybe there are cases where auto-subtitles will annoy some users, but I can’t imagine it’s many.

Mostly, the feature provides a valuable service I didn’t know I wanted. Now I just need it in every video player on my devices.

Do you want auto-subtitles in your other video apps? Have you tried it in the betas? Let us know in the comments.

For another new iOS 18 and tvOS 18 feature:

• The mute button gets a welcome, no-brainer upgrade in iOS 18 and tvOS 18