Find an ABC iview episode marked AD and select its additional audio through the Audio and Captions control during playback. For a live programme, check the broadcast route separately: ABC says iview live streams do not carry the broadcast audio-description track.
Locate an episode with its own AD label
ABC describes audio description as narration of important visual information. In iview, look for the AD symbol in the programme description and check the episode you intend to play. Some series have description on only selected episodes, so a series-level search result is not the final check.
On the mobile app, ABC's current route is the menu, Programs A–Z and then the Audio Description tab. On the website, open Categories and choose Audio Descriptions. Use these routes to select a documented described item before diagnosing the player. This makes the first question concrete: does this particular video offer the required additional track?
Enable description after playback starts
During the programme, open Audio and Captions and select the available description option. ABC says the video file must contain the additional track before AD can be enabled. Classification notices, viewer advice and promotional video before the programme may not themselves be described, so listen into the chosen episode before concluding that selection failed.
The current iview AD help lists iPhone/iPad and Android mobile apps, the computer website, and Samsung and LG connected televisions from 2020–2026. That is a feature-specific list. Having an iview app on another receiver does not, on this evidence alone, establish the same AD implementation. Check the latest AD page for your model rather than relying only on general app availability.
Choose broadcast or replay deliberately
ABC's television AD page points to a weekly description schedule and the AD symbol in programme guides. For broadcast reception, activation depends on the television or set-top box; check that receiver's accessibility settings and instructions. A receiver's broadcast AD setting is a different control from the iview player's audio choice.
The distinction matters when a live-stream guide shows an AD-marked programme but you hear no narration. ABC says live AD is available through television broadcast, while the iview live stream lacks it. Use the documented broadcast route, or check the separately listed iview replay for its AD option. Current-affairs programmes can also acquire description for repeats or on-demand viewing after an initial screening.
Check preferences when narration returns
If description switches back on in a later iview session, ABC says the app may be matching an enabled AD preference on the device. Check both the player selection and the device preference when you want a lasting change. Some broadcast receivers also lose their AD selection after a channel change or power cycle.
Keep the title, episode, playback route and device model with any fault report. A report about an AD-labelled replay on a listed device gives a different starting point from a report about an iview live stream. Choosing the right route first prevents unnecessary changes to otherwise working audio settings.
Sources and review
- Audio Description (AD) on ABC iview — Australian Broadcasting Corporation
- Audio Description (AD) on ABC Television — Australian Broadcasting Corporation