How to Turn Off Auto-Dubbing on YouTube (Viewers and Creators)

Short answer:

• Viewers: go to Settings → Playback & Performance → Language and add every language you understand. Videos originally in those languages will then play with their original audio, title and description. To fix a single video, open the player's Settings → Audio track and choose the original.
• Creators: in YouTube Studio → Settings → Channel → Advanced settings, untick Allow automatic dubbing.

Why YouTube plays a dubbed voice

YouTube automatically dubs many videos into other languages. Its help page says videos with these tracks are marked "auto-dubbed" in the description, and viewers can switch between the original and dubbed audio. It also translates titles and descriptions. If YouTube doesn't know you understand the original language, it may serve you the translation.

For viewers: get the original audio and titles back

For all videos (computer)

1. Click your profile picture, then Settings.
2. Click Playback & Performance.
3. Under Language, click add or edit languages.
4. Select every language you understand, then click confirm.

In the YouTube app

1. Tap your profile picture, then Settings.
2. Tap Languages → Preferred languages.
3. Select your languages, then tap confirm.

YouTube says that "content with the original audio in one of your preferred languages will not be translated and will default to the original audio". This covers dubbed audio, titles and descriptions. It doesn't change your search results or recommendations.

For one video

1. In the player, open Settings.
2. Select Audio track.
3. Choose the original language.

Still seeing translated titles? Check that the video's original language is in your preferred list. The setting works per language, so a video in a language you haven't added can still be translated.

For creators: turn off auto-dubbing on your channel

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio on a computer.
2. Click Settings → Channel → Advanced settings.
3. Untick Allow automatic dubbing.
4. Click Save.

Prefer to keep it but check the dubs first? Leave it on and tick Manually review dubs before publishing. You can then preview each dub, and publish, unpublish or delete it, under Content → [video] → Languages. Deleting a dub is permanent.

Why turn it off? YouTube says "you cannot edit automatic dubs". Its help page warns about errors with names, idioms, jargon and fast speech, and quality varies by language. If a mistranslation would hurt your channel (technical, medical or brand-sensitive content), review the dubs or provide your own.

Want dubs, but with control over the translation?

You can upload your own dubbed audio tracks instead of YouTube's. For a faceless or narration-led channel, the easiest way is to translate the script before it's voiced. Fix the translation first, then generate the narration in the target language. That's what TubeChef's translation & TTS does, in 30+ languages, with TubeChef TTS or your own voice provider.

See also: Is AI content allowed on YouTube?

FAQ

Can I turn off auto-dubbing for every video at once as a viewer?
Not with a single switch. Adding your languages under preferred languages does it for every video originally in those languages.

Will turning off auto-dubbing hurt my channel?
YouTube describes auto-dubs as optional and says creators can turn them off or provide their own. It hasn't published data on what happens to reach when you turn them off.

Can I delete a dub that's already published?
Yes. In YouTube Studio, open Content, select the video, go to Languages, and choose Unpublish or Delete for that language.

Why isn't my video auto-dubbed?
YouTube lists reasons including videos longer than 120 minutes, little or no speech, unsupported or undetected languages, speech that's too fast, and copyrighted content.