Downloading and watching movies on your Android smartphone has become easier than ever before! You just need the right apps — say, a good download manager and the right place to find movies. But, it has not been the same for movie subtitles. Finding the best place, downloading the subtitles and then moving those subtitles files to the folder. It’s a pain in the ass.
While there are many websites that will let you download subtitle files of movies, TV shows for free (like subscene.com and opensubtitles.org etc). But if you often watch a lot of movies on your Android, it makes sense to use a dedicated Android app to download subtitles. Such apps will help you download the right subtitles for the movies in just one or two clicks. Sounds amazing, right? Well, get excited; because, we have created a list of the best Android apps to download subtitles.
Table of Contents
Android Apps to Download Subtitles
#1 MightySubs
One of the widely used subtitle download apps for Android, MightySubs deserves a place on the list. It comes with an interface that can confuse users. The first thing you’d see while opening the app would be the Files Directory. You have to navigate to the folder where you have stored the movie/TV series and then click the download button.
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When you don’t have time, this is a tiresome task for sure. Also, you will have to change between two profiles — TV Series and Movies — depending on what you want to download. However, there are some advanced features we loved. For instance, you can decide the locations from where the subtitles are downloaded. That having said, we think the non-intuitive UI is defeating the purpose of most of these features.
Pros: No Ads, Support for 7 sources and Quick downloads
Cons: A non-intuitive UI and lack of automated scan
The Verdict: MightySubs is not the best subtitle app on the list. However, if you don’t mind compromising a bit of feature for an ad-free interface, it’s still an option. Just so you know, MightySubs has a full-featured premium version for around $0.99. It comes with all the features we’ve not found here, including resync option for subtitles.
Check Out MightySubs (Free, Premium Version for $0.99)
#2 GMT Subtitles
GMT Subtitles is one of the most popular apps for downloading subtitles on Android. It offers a lot of extra features. Most importantly, GMT Subtitles is totally free and ad-free. As soon as you install and open the app, it will scan your Android device for video files. Not just that, GMT Subtitles will also tell you if a file has subtitles or not.
For each download, the app shows information like the number of downloads. Just click on one, and it will be automatically added to the folder. We really liked the UI of the app, which is quite simple. That said, it is offering advanced search and bulk subtitle download. GMT Subtitles also lets you manually download files from sites like OpenSubtitles.org and BetaSeries.com.
Pros: An intuitive UI, Theme customization, Network/Local File support, customization
Cons: You may have to edit the movie name in the search for right results.
The Verdict: On most days, GMT Subtitles is one of the easiest ways to download subtitles. It’s great that the app relies on multiple services for finding subtitles. It means you have a better chance of getting the accurate and well-synced subtitles. It also offers advanced features like bulk download and season selection, which is useful when you have a huge collection of movies/TV series.
Check Out GMT Subtitles (Free)
#3 Sub Loader
Sub Loader is another effective choice to download subtitles for both movies and TV series. When compared to GMT Subtitles, Sub Loader is quite simpler. Better speed and selection of accurate subtitles are two main features we loved. Just like the previous one, Sub Loader will scan your Android device for video files. If you want to make it quick, there is an option to specify folders where you store movies.
Once the scanning is done, you can click on one video file to see the available subtitles. Sub Loader uses two sources — OpenSubtitles.org and SubScene.com for downloading subtitles. In case of either source, you can click on the subtitle file to download it. We found the process quite simple and impressive. There is an option to set preferences like Subtitle language and enable content via the network.
Pros: A truly simple UI, Quick scanning and selection of subtitles, Better control over downloads
Cons: Ads are intrusive; Bulk download isn’t available; lacks advanced search
The Verdict: If you need a simple app that shows you the possible subtitles, Sub Loader is a great option for sure. However, the problems like intrusive ads and lack of advanced search are present in the app. Also, you cannot have the bulk subtitle download feature unless you subscribe to the premium version. If you have a popular release of a popular film/TV series, Sub Loader would be enough.
Check Out Sub Loader (Free, Ad-Free paid version available)
#4 Get Subtitles
Get Subtitles for Android doesn’t have the best modern UI among these apps. But, if you can compromise in the area of looks, it’s a great way to get the subtitles you need. Unlike both the abovementioned apps, Get Subtitles offers a better choice for the user. You can choose between Auto Search, Manual Search and Subtitle Download, depending on what you want.
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Auto Search is the quickest option, since it finds, downloads and stores the subtitles in the correct directory. On the other hand, if you want to search using file/video title, there is an option too. Just like both the apps we covered, Get Subtitles can also scan your Android phone for videos. The app doesn’t offer much space for customization. All you can change is the language of subtitle you’re searching for.
Pros: Extremely simple to use, offers Manual Search and Comparatively quick
Cons: Doesn’t have advanced search, intrusive ads
The Verdict: Get Subtitles is the perfect choice when you don’t want to spend a lot of time in downloading subtitles. The whole process is easier and doesn’t take more than a second. Although Get Subtitles does not show the source, we believe it’s getting the subtitles from OpenSubtitles.org. Anyway, when you are looking for a quick-and-easy way without advanced features, Get Subtitles is the go-to choice.
Check Out Get Subtitles (Free, Ad-free paid version available)
#5 MX Player
Okay, this is not exactly an app for downloading subtitles in Android. But, you know, MX Player is one of the most popular media players for Android. As it happens, MX Player has an inbuilt feature to download almost any subtitle from OpenSubtitles.org. It’s not completely automatic, but you don’t have to worry about ads or other issues.
Read: Best MX Player Alternatives For Android
If you are someone who uses MX Player for watching movies/TV Series — high-five, mate —, this is the best way to download subtitles. When the movie is playing, click on Options button > Choose Subtitle > Go to Online Subtitles > Search. Just click OK and MX Player will search OpenSubtitles.org for the film or TV Series you are playing. Soon, you can find a list of the app. Select one and click Download. Easy, isn’t it?
Pros: Easy if you’re already using MX Player, Better accuracy and No intrusive ads
Cons: Recommended only if you’re using MX Player, lacks advanced search, MX Player isn’t ad-free
The Verdict: You know this already. If you’re using MX Player, this is the great option, indeed. If you are not using MX Player, consider it an option to upgrade 😉 Anyway, personally speaking, this method works almost every time, if you are using a popular release of the movie/TV series. We don’t recommend this method for rare shows and movies, though.
Check Out MX Player (Free)
The Bottom Line
Well, these are the five best Android apps to download subtitles. We tried a lot of the apps that are supposed to download apps, but they are basically viewers. Given above are the safest and effective ways to get actual subtitles downloaded to the movie folder. Now, it’s your choice. If you just want to get the subtitles, you can go for MX Player or Get Subtitles. On the other hand, if the advanced search is required, GMT Subtitles seems to be the best option. Let us know if we missed any better Android apps for subtitle download.
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