The short answer: when a show has no subtitles in your language, you can translate the subtitles it does have — live. Install Swift Translate (free, Android 11+), draw a box around Netflix’s caption area once, and press play. The captions are translated on screen as they change.
Step by step
- Install Swift Translate and turn the translator on.
- Open Netflix and start the show. Turn on subtitles in any language available (English usually has the best translation quality).
- Tap the floating bubble and choose the subtitle tool.
- Draw a box around the area where the captions appear.
- Press play. The translated captions appear above the box, updating live.
You do this once per app — the box position is remembered.
It’s not just Netflix
The same box works on:
- YouTube — creators who caption only in their own language
- Disney+, Prime Video, Viki and other streaming apps
- MX Player, VLC and local video files
- Live streams, as long as captions are shown
It works with burned-in subtitles too
Because Swift Translate reads the pixels on the screen, it does not need a subtitle track. Videos with subtitles burned into the image — common with anime, K-drama clips, and older films — translate exactly the same way.
Requirements and tips
- Android 11 or newer (the live capture feature needs it).
- Position the box tightly around the caption area for the fastest updates.
- If the video app pauses when you draw, draw the box first, then start playback.
Related: Subtitle translator · The full screen translator
