[Klojum]

What is the setting of the subtitle stream in the video file itself? Default, forced, disabled?

[mjKiD]

Was anyone able to get this to work?

I'm running LibreELEC 10, I have the video files (mkv with multiplexed subtitle streams) in the library, and even just stopping and resuming the same video fails to enable the subtitles.

• "save settings for all files" in the subtitle settings screen opened from player OSD - no change
  
• set default subtitle language to a specific language, rather than "forced" or "original" - no change
  

[mjKiD]

Perhaps as an alternative, is there a 1-key shortcut that enables the subtitles?

[Klojum]

is there a 1-key shortcut that enables the subtitles?

Press the 't' key on your keyboard.

[outlying]

The 1-key shortcut is not an option for me, I'm using Chromecast with Google TV, and the remote has very few buttons

I also tried the methods mentioned above and I am also interested in simple "activate subtitles by default"

[polys]

I simply chose English as the default language in Kodi settings (Player / Language / Preferred subtitle language) and now all videos play with subtitles enabled automatically and with English set.

[Preacher]

I always have to go to settings while playing and switch it on.

For what it's worth... I added an entry in my config file that reads:

html:
       <!-- top-right (DVD, under RED key) toggles subtitles on/off -->

       <m mod="ctrl,shift">ShowSubtitles</m>

I added it to ~/.kodi/userdata/keymaps/custom.xml, the full line being:

html:


<keymap>

  <global>

    <keyboard>

       <!-- top-right (DVD, under RED key) toggles subtitles on/off -->

       <m mod="ctrl,shift">ShowSubtitles</m>

...

It means I can just flick subtitles on/off with a remote keypress.  It won't make your subtitles permanent, but it makes it a lot quicker to enable them.

[HeresJohnny]

Why though... the L key already cycles through all available subtitles. What I want is for my preferred subtitle language to be displayed automatically for when my hands are full with a pint of beer and a bag of crisps...

[Klojum]

@wiab4355

Is it possible that all your video files that have on or more subtitle tracks, but none of them are marked "Enabled", "Default" or "Forced" ?
You can analyze such things with a tool like MKVToolNix.

[2twisty]

I solved this in Kodi 20 by setting both preferred audio and preferred subtitle languages to match the interface language.

Now, my shows default properly to have subtitles on if they exist in my user interface language (English, in my case)

Hope this helps someone else.