Why do subtitles show strange characters?

Archived editorial answer

The subtitle encoding or font lacks the required characters; UTF-8 and a compatible font usually help.

A practical check

Open the same subtitle track on a second compatible player. If you manage the subtitle file, keep the original and test a separate UTF-8 copy. WebVTT requires UTF-8.

Ask a follow-up

Include the exact device, app version, time of the issue and one thing you changed.