Some YouTube videos have lost their colourful or stylised subtitles. This has affected both viewers and creators. YouTube says this is a temporary measure. The change mainly impacts special caption file types like SRV3 and YTT. These formats were causing playback problems on the platform.
What happened to SRV3 and YTT captions
Creators noticed that YouTube Studio no longer allows them to upload SRV3 caption files. Some reported that previously uploaded SRV3 or YTT captions were disappearing from their videos. SRV3 captions let creators do a lot more than basic subtitles. They could:
- Use different colours for each speaker
- Add outlines or drop shadows to text
- Place subtitles in specific spots on the screen
- Show translations in a custom style under the original language
The sudden disappearance led many to worry that YouTube was removing advanced captions permanently, possibly in favour of basic or AI-generated subtitles.
YouTube explains the change
YouTube confirmed that SRV3 and YTT captions were disabled on purpose. Videos using these formats were causing playback failures for some viewers. To prevent bigger problems across the site, YouTube temporarily limited these files.
Creators may not be able to upload SRV3 or YTT files for now. Previously uploaded captions might not appear. Viewers may not see these captions on affected videos. YouTube says the change is temporary and that teams are working on a solution. There is no timeline for when SRV3 and YTT captions will return.
For now, creators who rely on stylised captions will need to use standard subtitle formats until YouTube fixes the playback issues.
