MX Player Subtitles Not Showing: Fixes For SRT, Encoding, And Settings

When subtitles fail in MX Player, the problem is usually not the video itself. It is typically a mismatch between the subtitle file and the movie, a text encoding issue (common with non English subtitles), or a setting that prevents MX Player from loading or rendering captions. This guide walks through practical fixes for SRT timing and naming, encoding conversions, and MX Player settings that most often cause subtitles to disappear.

1. Confirm You Actually Have A Subtitle Track Or File.

Before changing settings, verify whether subtitles exist at all. Many videos do not include embedded subtitle tracks, and many downloads place the subtitle file in a different folder than the video.

1.1 Check For Embedded Subtitles Versus External SRT

Subtitles can be embedded inside the video container (like MKV) or provided as a separate file (like .srt, .ass, or .ssa). MX Player can handle both, but the troubleshooting path differs.

• Embedded: The subtitle track is inside the video file. If MX Player cannot see it, it may be a decoding, container, or track parsing issue.
• External: The subtitle is a separate file stored alongside the video. If it is not showing, it is usually a naming, location, permission, or encoding issue.

If you are not sure which you have, look in your file manager. If there is no subtitle file near the video, you probably rely on embedded subtitles or you need to download an external subtitle file.

1.2 Manually Select The Subtitle In MX Player

Even if subtitles exist, MX Player may not auto load them. Manually selecting the subtitle forces MX Player to scan and attach it.

1. Open the video in MX Player.
2. Tap the three dots menu (or subtitle icon, depending on version).
3. Choose Subtitle.
4. Tap Open or Select, then browse to your subtitle file.
5. Ensure Subtitle is set to On (not Off/Disable).

If MX Player shows “No subtitles” or does not list anything, move to file naming and encoding checks below.

2. Fix SRT File Naming, Placement, And Permissions.

Most “subtitles not showing” cases for external SRT files happen because MX Player does not find the file automatically. The easiest way to increase the hit rate is to place the subtitle in the same folder and match the name precisely.

2.1 Put The SRT In The Same Folder As The Video

MX Player commonly auto detects subtitle files that sit next to the video. If your subtitle file is inside Downloads while your video is in Movies, MX Player may not auto load it.

• Move the .srt file into the same directory as the video.
• Avoid cloud only locations where the file is not fully downloaded.
• If you use an SD card, confirm the subtitle file is also on the SD card and not internal storage.

2.2 Match The File Name Exactly (Including Season And Resolution Tags)

Auto loading is most reliable when the base file name matches. This includes punctuation, brackets, and extra tags like resolution or release group.

Example:

• Video: Movie.Name.2024.1080p.WEB-DL.mkv
• Subtitle: Movie.Name.2024.1080p.WEB-DL.srt

If your subtitle is named Movie.Name.2024.srt, it may still work, but exact matches reduce ambiguity when multiple subtitles are present.

2.3 Check The Subtitle File Extension And Compression

Subtitles downloaded from the web are often compressed (ZIP or RAR). MX Player cannot use the subtitle until it is extracted, and some downloads are mislabeled.

• Ensure the file ends with .srt, .ass, or .ssa.
• If it is .zip or .rar, extract it first using a file manager that supports archives.
• If it is .txt but contains subtitle timing lines, rename it to .srt.

Also confirm the subtitle is not a “subtitle link” file from a website (a small HTML download), which will not work as captions.

2.4 Android Storage Permission Issues (Especially On Newer Android Versions)

On Android 10 and later, apps can be restricted in what files they can access depending on permissions and how the app is built. If MX Player cannot browse to or read the subtitle, it can look like “subtitles not showing” even though the file is correct.

1. Go to Android Settings → Apps → MX Player → Permissions.
2. Allow Files and media access (or equivalent).
3. If the subtitle is on an SD card, ensure MX Player has SD card access when prompted.

If you recently changed phones or upgraded Android, rechecking permissions is one of the fastest wins.

3. Fix Encoding Problems (Garbled Text, Question Marks, Or Blank Subtitles).

If subtitles “exist” but show as squares, question marks, or random characters, the issue is often text encoding. SRT files are plain text, but the character set matters. This is especially common for Arabic, Persian, Hindi, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Eastern European languages.

3.1 Understand The Most Common Encodings: UTF 8, ANSI, Windows 125x

MX Player generally handles UTF 8 well. Problems often happen when a subtitle is saved in a legacy encoding like Windows-1252, Windows-1256, Windows-1251, ISO-8859-1, or when it contains a UTF 8 BOM mismatch depending on the app and file.

• UTF 8 is the safest choice for mixed languages and special characters.
• Windows code pages may display correctly on a PC but break on a phone player.
• Wrong encoding can produce unreadable characters even if timing is correct.

3.2 Convert SRT To UTF 8 (Best General Fix)

If you can edit the subtitle on a computer, converting to UTF 8 solves many display issues.

1. Open the .srt in a text editor that supports encoding selection.
2. Choose Save As or Re-encode.
3. Select UTF 8 (often shown as “UTF-8” or “UTF-8 without BOM”).
4. Save the file and test again in MX Player.

If you only have your phone, you can still convert using a capable Android text editor that supports encoding, but the options vary by app.

3.3 In MX Player, Try Manually Selecting Subtitle Encoding

MX Player typically provides an option to change subtitle encoding for the currently loaded subtitle.

1. While the video is playing, open the Subtitle menu.
2. Find Encoding or Text encoding.
3. Try UTF 8 first, then test relevant regional encodings (for example Windows-1256 for Arabic in some older subtitle files).

If changing encoding makes the text readable, permanently converting the file to UTF 8 is still recommended so it works across devices and players.

4. Fix Subtitle Timing And Format Issues (Subtitles “Load” But Never Appear).

Sometimes MX Player successfully loads a subtitle file, but you still see nothing. This is frequently due to timing that does not match your video, or a format problem in the SRT that prevents proper parsing.

4.1 Check If The Subtitle Is Out Of Sync Or For A Different Release

Subtitles are often created for a specific cut of a movie or episode. If your video is a different version (extended edition, different frame rate, different source), the subtitle timestamps may be far off.

• If subtitles appear too early or too late, you need a time offset.
• If subtitles never appear at all, the timestamps may not overlap with your video duration.
• If the subtitle was made for a different frame rate, the drift may worsen over time.

4.2 Use MX Player Subtitle Delay (Offset) Controls

MX Player usually includes a subtitle delay option, letting you shift subtitles forward or backward.

1. Open Subtitle settings while playing.
2. Find Subtitle delay (wording may vary).
3. Adjust in small steps until the lines match spoken dialogue.

This helps when the subtitle is correct but starts slightly off due to intro logos, streaming trims, or release differences.

4.3 Validate Basic SRT Structure

A valid SRT file usually looks like a repeating block: an index number, a time range line, then subtitle text, separated by a blank line. If the formatting is broken, MX Player may fail to display it.

Common structural problems:

• Missing blank lines between subtitle blocks.
• Time format not in HH:MM:SS,mmm style.
• Corrupted characters in timing lines.
• Subtitle file is actually HTML or another unrelated content type.

If you suspect this, re-download subtitles from a reputable source, or open the file in a text editor to confirm it contains real SRT timing blocks.

5. Check MX Player Subtitle Rendering Settings.

If the subtitles are loaded but invisible, the issue can be styling: font color matching the background, transparency, size, or being positioned off-screen. This is especially likely if you previously customized appearance.

5.1 Reset Subtitle Text Appearance

Look for settings such as font size, color, opacity, stroke, shadow, and background.

• Increase font size and set color to white or yellow for testing.
• Enable outline or shadow to improve contrast.
• Disable extreme transparency settings.
• Reset subtitle style to default if the option exists.

If subtitles suddenly appear after a reset, your prior theme was likely making them effectively invisible.

5.2 Make Sure Subtitles Are Not Positioned Off Screen

Some players allow changing vertical position. If set too low, subtitles can render beyond the visible area, especially on phones with gesture bars or unusual aspect ratios.

1. Open subtitle settings.
2. Find Position or Subtitle position.
3. Move it upward slightly and test.

5.3 Consider Hardware Acceleration And Decoder Settings

Subtitle rendering can interact with how video is decoded. If you see odd behavior like subtitles failing only on certain files, try switching decoder modes.

• Test HW, HW+, and SW decoding modes if available.
• If one mode fails to show subtitles, another may work, especially for certain container formats.

If switching decoders fixes subtitles, keep the working mode for that file type and update MX Player to the latest version available on your device.

6. Troubleshoot Language, Font, And Complex Subtitle Formats.

Some subtitle formats contain styling, positioning, and fonts that are more complex than plain SRT. ASS/SSA subtitles, for example, can include typesetting instructions. They can still work well, but they can also fail if fonts are missing or if the subtitle depends on specific rendering features.

6.1 If ASS Or SSA Subtitles Look Wrong, Try A Plain SRT Alternative

If your subtitles are ASS and nothing appears, find an SRT version for the same release. SRT is simpler and more broadly compatible.

• Prefer SRT if your goal is readability across devices.
• Use ASS if you need karaoke effects, typesetting, or special positioning, but expect more variability.

6.2 Install Or Change Fonts For Non Latin Languages

If subtitles appear as boxes (tofu) instead of letters, your device may not have a font that supports those glyphs, or MX Player may be using a font that lacks coverage.

• Try changing subtitle font within MX Player subtitle settings.
• Test with a known Unicode font on your device, if selectable.
• As a diagnostic step, try a different subtitle file in the same language that you know works on another player.

Note that font installation and selection depends on Android version and MX Player edition. If you cannot choose a font, the most reliable workaround is often to use a subtitle file with Unicode encoding and test with another player to separate font issues from file issues.

7. Practical “Do This First” Checklist (Fastest Fix Path).

If you want the quickest way to fix MX Player subtitles not showing, follow this order. It prioritizes the most common causes and the highest probability fixes.

7.1 The 10 Minute Diagnostic Routine

1. Confirm subtitles are enabled (not turned off).
2. Manually open the subtitle file from the Subtitle menu.
3. Move the subtitle file into the same folder as the video.
4. Rename the subtitle to match the video file name exactly.
5. Extract the subtitle if it is zipped.
6. Change subtitle encoding to UTF 8 in MX Player and test.
7. If text is garbled, convert the file to UTF 8 using a text editor.
8. Use subtitle delay to offset timing if lines appear but are out of sync.
9. Reset subtitle appearance settings (color, size, opacity, position).
10. Switch decoder mode (HW/HW+/SW) for that file.

If none of these help, the subtitle file may be mismatched to your exact video release, or the file itself may be corrupted.

8. Common Questions About MX Player Subtitles Not Showing.

This section answers common “why” questions in a direct way, which can help you decide which fix to try.

8.1 Why Does MX Player Not Detect My SRT Automatically?

The top causes are: the SRT is in a different folder, the name does not match the video, the file is still compressed, or MX Player lacks storage permission to access that directory. Placing the SRT next to the video and matching names typically solves detection issues.

8.2 Why Do Subtitles Show As Question Marks Or Random Symbols?

This almost always indicates an encoding mismatch. The subtitle text was saved using an encoding that MX Player is not interpreting correctly. Selecting the correct encoding in MX Player can fix it immediately. Converting the subtitle file to UTF 8 is the most portable long term fix.

8.3 Why Do Subtitles Load But Never Appear On Screen?

The most common explanation is timing mismatch: the subtitle timestamps do not overlap with your video, or the subtitle was made for a different cut. Second most common is styling: the subtitle color or opacity makes it effectively invisible, or the position is off-screen. Try subtitle delay and reset appearance settings.

8.4 Can A Video Update Or Different Download Break Subtitles?

Yes. Even small differences like a different intro length, different frame rate, or a different source can throw subtitles off. If the subtitle was synced to a particular release, switching to another release can cause major desync or make it look like subtitles never appear.

8.5 What Is The Best Subtitle Format For MX Player?

SRT is usually the best starting point because it is plain text and widely supported. ASS and SSA offer richer styling but can be more sensitive to rendering differences and fonts. If you just want reliable captions, use a well-formed SRT saved in UTF 8.

9. When The File Is Fine: App Updates, Cache, And Alternatives.

If you are confident the subtitle file is correct, but MX Player still refuses to show it, the issue can be app state, a bug, or device specific restrictions.

9.1 Update MX Player And Reboot

Subtitle handling can change between versions, and some issues come from partial updates or device media framework quirks.

• Update MX Player from your official app store source for your device.
• Restart your device to clear stuck media services.

9.2 Clear Cache (Not Data First)

Clearing cache is a low risk way to reset temporary state without wiping your preferences.

1. Android Settings → Apps → MX Player.
2. Storage → Clear cache.

If that fails and you are comfortable reconfiguring settings, you can consider clearing data, but do it only after trying the earlier steps because it can reset preferences.

9.3 Test The Same Subtitle In Another Player To Isolate The Root Cause

This is a powerful diagnostic move: if the subtitle fails in multiple players, your subtitle file is the problem. If it works elsewhere but not in MX Player, it is likely a setting, permission, or decoder interaction in MX Player.

• If it works in other apps, revisit MX Player subtitle settings and storage access.
• If it fails everywhere, download a different subtitle matched to your video release.

10. A Simple Reference Table: Symptom To Fix.

If you want a quick mapping from what you see to what to do next, use this reference.

10.1 Symptom Driven Troubleshooting

Citations

• UTF-8 Definition and Use in Unicode Text. (Unicode)
• Text Encodings (Overview of Common Encodings and Code Pages). (W3C)
• Android App Permissions Overview (Including Files and Media). (Android Developers)
• SubRip (SRT) Subtitle Format Description. (Matroska)