iQIYI App Subtitle Issues on Android TV vs. Roku: What You Need to Know.
iQIYI is one of the leading streaming platforms for Chinese content, offering a vast library of Chinese dramas, movies, variety shows, and more. If you enjoy Chinese entertainment and can understand Mandarin, iQIYI is a great choice. For non-Mandarin speakers, the app provides subtitles in English and other languages.
However, the subtitle experience varies significantly depending on the device you’re using—especially between Android TV-based devices and Roku.
Subtitle Problems on Android TV Devices
If you install the iQIYI app on Android TV-based devices—such as Google TV streamers, Amazon Fire TV Sticks, or generic Android TV boxes—you’ll notice a major issue: the subtitles are extremely small. The font size is so tiny that it becomes difficult to read unless you have perfect vision.
Unfortunately, iQIYI does not allow users to customize subtitle appearance on Android TV. There’s no way to increase the font size, change the color, or add a black background to improve readability. This makes watching content on these devices frustrating, especially for viewers relying on subtitles to understand the language.
Why Are Subtitles Better on Roku?
Roku devices offer a much better experience when it comes to subtitles. This is largely due to Roku OS enforcing a universal subtitle styling policy. Roku requires streaming apps to comply with system-wide subtitle settings, which means your subtitle preferences (such as size, font, and background color) apply automatically across all supported apps—including iQIYI.
As a result, watching iQIYI on Roku devices is far more accessible and user-friendly, especially for international users who depend on subtitles.
Final Recommendation
We do not recommend using the iQIYI app on Android-based TV devices if you rely on subtitles. The inability to adjust subtitle settings makes the app nearly unusable for many viewers.
However, if you’re using a Roku device, you’ll likely have a much smoother experience, as Roku supports customizable subtitles that improve readability and accessibility.