# Decorative subtitles not showing in ShakaPlayer

**URL:** <https://community.amazondeveloper.com/t/decorative-subtitles-not-showing-in-shakaplayer/20210>\
**Category:** Bug Reports\
**Created:** [September 3, 2025, 12:45pm UTC](https://community.amazondeveloper.com/t/decorative-subtitles-not-showing-in-shakaplayer/20210 "2025-09-03T12:45:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kazunori.kojima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@kazunori.kojima](https://community.amazondeveloper.com/u/kazunori.kojima)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 12:45pm UTC](https://community.amazondeveloper.com/t/decorative-subtitles-not-showing-in-shakaplayer/20210/1 "2025-09-03T12:45:17Z")

</div>

# 👉 Bug Description

* * *

## 1. Summary

Some webvtt files are not displayed when using ShakaPlayer’s text track rendering.

**Bug Severity**  
Select one that applies

- Impacts operation of app
- Blocks current development
- Improvement suggestion
- Issue with documentation (If selected, please share the doc link and describe the issue)
- Other

## 2. Steps to Reproduce

1. Load the problematic VTT into ShakaPlayer with addTextTrackAsync
2. Subtitles don’t display at all

## 3. Observed Behavior

_Explain what actually happened, noting any discrepancies or malfunctions._

```auto
Subtitles don't display at all

```

## 4. Expected Behavior

_Describe what you expected the SDK to do under normal operation._

```auto
Subtitles are displayed correctly

```

### 4.a Possible Root Cause & Temporary Workaround

_Fill out anything you have tried. If you don’t know, N/A is acceptable_

```auto
N/A

```

## 5. Logs or crash report

## 6. Environment

_Please fill out the fields related to your bug below:_

- **SDK Version:** 0.20.3494

- **App State:** `[Foreground]`

- **OS Information**  
Please ssh into the device via `kepler exec vda shell`and copy the output from `cat /etc/os-release`into the answer section below. _Note, if you don’t have a simulator running or device attached `kepler exec vda shell` will respond with `vda: no devices/emulators found`_

## 7. Example Code Snippet / Screenshots / Screengrabs

_Include any relevant code or component setup in React Native that can help reproduce the bug._

```auto
this.player.addTextTrackAsync(uri, language, kind, mimeType, codec, label, forced)

```

* * *

## 👉 Playback Issues

* * *

_If this is a playback issue, please provide your VPKG and/or content URL, any pre-conditions (like geo-location) **[Share privately with your Amazon contact]**_ , and let us know if it’s x86 or arm7.

```auto

<!-- Describe your playback issue if applicable -->

```

Please share the following details in addition:\_

- **Player SDK:** `[Shaka]`
- **Player SDK Version:** `[4.6.18]`
  - **Audio Codecs:** `[AAC]`
  - **Video Codecs:** `[h.265, mp4]`
  - **Manifest Types:** `[dash]`

**Q: Would you like to be contacted to share your latest VPKG compiled with latest SDK:**

```auto
[Y/N] [Share privately with your Amazon contact]

```

**Q: VPN or Login needed to verify functionality in VPKG?**

```auto
[Y/N] [Share privately with your Amazon contact]

```

**Q: If applicable, please provide your media/content url**  
_If this is created dynamically, tokenized, etc please provide a way for us to access it_

```auto
N/A

```

**Q: Are there any special headers required to reproduce the issue you are facing?**

```auto
N/A

```

**Additionally please provide the following if possible**  
_Provide Screenshots / Screengrabs / Logs. Please include as much information as you can that will help debug._

```auto
<!-- Answer here if applicable --> 

```

* * *

## 👉 Additional Context

* * *

**Any Additional Context you would like to provide?**  
_Add any other relevant information, such as recent updates to the SDK, dependencies, or device OS that may affect the bug._

WebVTT witt problems

```auto
WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:01:00.000 line:100%,end position:50%,center
Line1 Text
<i>Line2</i>

```

```auto
WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:01:00.000 line:100%,end position:50%,center
Line1 Text
<b>Line2 Text</b>

```

```auto
WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:01:00.000 line:100%,end position:50%,center
Line1 Text
<u>Line2 Text</u>

```

```auto
WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:01:00.000 line:100%,end position:50%,center
Line1 Text
<v>Line2 Text</v>

```

WebVTT without problems

(but style is not applied)

```auto
WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:01:00.000 line:100%,end position:50%,center
<i>Line1</i>

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Siva\_Prakash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Siva\_Prakash](https://community.amazondeveloper.com/u/Siva_Prakash)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2025, 3:10pm UTC](https://community.amazondeveloper.com/t/decorative-subtitles-not-showing-in-shakaplayer/20210/3 "2025-09-04T15:10:03Z")

</div>

Hi @kazunori.kojima,

Thank you for reporting this issue. We have requested our team to investigate. We will let you know when there is an update.

Regards,  
Siva

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kazunori.kojima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@kazunori.kojima](https://community.amazondeveloper.com/u/kazunori.kojima)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2025, 5:43am UTC](https://community.amazondeveloper.com/t/decorative-subtitles-not-showing-in-shakaplayer/20210/4 "2025-09-17T05:43:26Z")

</div>

Thank you for reply.

The problem was fixed after updating to Shaka Player 4.8.5.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ivy](https://dhm3gbtzu79o6.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.amazondeveloper.com/ivy/32/5637_2.png) [@Ivy](https://community.amazondeveloper.com/u/Ivy)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2025, 8:51am UTC](https://community.amazondeveloper.com/t/decorative-subtitles-not-showing-in-shakaplayer/20210/5 "2025-11-27T08:51:13Z")

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