Open the episode in PBS KIDS Video and look for an audio track labelled Audio Description (English) or English AD. PBS documents a gear menu on its website and mobile apps, an Audio track option on Roku, and separate controls on Apple TV, Fire TV and Android TV.
Start with the episode your child wants
Audio description adds spoken information about what is happening on screen. It is useful when the picture carries part of the story that dialogue or sound alone leaves out. Open the particular episode or clip in PBS KIDS Video, then start playback so you can see the player’s audio choices.
PBS has separate instructions for its main PBS app and the children’s video service. Use the PBS KIDS Video instructions for the player at PBSKIDS.org or in the PBS KIDS Video app. The ordinary English audio and the English audio description are different track choices.
Choose the audio track on your screen
Use the row for the screen playing the video. On a connected television, that may mean using the TV or streaming device remote, even if you originally found the programme on a phone.
| Screen | Where PBS lists the English description track |
|---|---|
| PBSKIDS.org | Open the player gear. In Audio Selection, choose Audio Description (English). |
| iPhone, iPad or Android mobile | Open the video player gear and choose English AD. |
| Roku | While the video plays, press the star button, select Audio track, choose English AD and close the menu. |
| Apple TV 4 | Pause, open the Audio Levels icon and choose English AD under Audio Track. |
| Amazon Fire or Android TV | During playback, press up to reach the gear, choose English (AD), then press up again to close the prompt. |
Check the choice on the episode you selected
Return to playback and listen during a scene change or a moment when characters move without speaking. The added narration may only occur where there is visual information to describe. You can reopen the menu to verify that the description track is still selected.
If the menu offers captions, those give text on the screen. Check the audio choices for the description track. PBS’s support page on app compatibility can help you identify the correct player for your device, and its audio description page has device-specific directions.
Try one screen at a time. For example, if you find the episode on a phone and then open the same programme on Roku, check the Roku audio menu while that episode is running. PBS’s two instructions refer to the player on each screen. The season, episode and audio option give you concrete details to compare if the household uses more than one device.
Record the exact item if the track is missing
Write down the series, episode title and device. Say which audio options appear and whether you opened the clip or the full episode. That is more useful for a support request than a general statement that PBS KIDS has no audio description. To check the same title on a different documented screen, open the same episode and compare the choices in its player.
If you are helping someone else remotely, ask which app or website is on their screen before talking them through the menu. They may know the show title and still be in a different player.