diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/fragments/PlayerFragment.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/fragments/PlayerFragment.kt
index 7947ba2ed..e9ad5cb3d 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/fragments/PlayerFragment.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/fragments/PlayerFragment.kt
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ class PlayerFragment : Fragment() {
     private var defRes = ""
     private var bufferingGoal = 50000
     private var seekBarPreview = false
+    private var defaultSubtitle = ""
 
     /**
      * for autoplay
@@ -255,12 +256,12 @@ class PlayerFragment : Fragment() {
         playbackSpeed = PreferenceHelper.getString(
             PreferenceKeys.PLAYBACK_SPEED,
             "1"
-        )!!.replace("F", "") // due to old way to handle it (with float)
+        ).replace("F", "") // due to old way to handle it (with float)
 
         fullscreenOrientationPref = PreferenceHelper.getString(
             PreferenceKeys.FULLSCREEN_ORIENTATION,
             "ratio"
-        )!!
+        )
 
         pausePlayerOnScreenOffEnabled = PreferenceHelper.getBoolean(
             PreferenceKeys.PAUSE_ON_SCREEN_OFF,
@@ -285,27 +286,36 @@ class PlayerFragment : Fragment() {
         seekIncrement = PreferenceHelper.getString(
             PreferenceKeys.SEEK_INCREMENT,
             "5"
-        )?.toLong()!! * 1000
+        ).toLong() * 1000
 
         videoFormatPreference = PreferenceHelper.getString(
             PreferenceKeys.PLAYER_VIDEO_FORMAT,
             "webm"
-        )!!
+        )
 
         defRes = PreferenceHelper.getString(
             PreferenceKeys.DEFAULT_RESOLUTION,
             ""
-        )!!
+        )
 
         bufferingGoal = PreferenceHelper.getString(
             PreferenceKeys.BUFFERING_GOAL,
             "50"
-        )?.toInt()!! * 1000
+        ).toInt() * 1000
 
         seekBarPreview = PreferenceHelper.getBoolean(
             PreferenceKeys.SEEKBAR_PREVIEW,
             false
         )
+
+        defaultSubtitle = PreferenceHelper.getString(
+            PreferenceKeys.DEFAULT_SUBTITLE,
+            ""
+        )
+
+        if (defaultSubtitle.contains("-")) {
+            defaultSubtitle = defaultSubtitle.split("-")[0]
+        }
     }
 
     private fun setSponsorBlockPrefs() {
@@ -1490,7 +1500,10 @@ class PlayerFragment : Fragment() {
             )
             .build()
 
+        // set the subtitle if default subtitle selected
         trackSelector = DefaultTrackSelector(requireContext())
+        if (defaultSubtitle != "") trackSelector.buildUponParameters()
+            .setPreferredTextLanguage(defaultSubtitle)
 
         exoPlayer = ExoPlayer.Builder(requireContext())
             .setMediaSourceFactory(DefaultMediaSourceFactory(dataSourceFactory))
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/preferences/PlayerSettings.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/preferences/PlayerSettings.kt
index ac599363d..df6f2730c 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/preferences/PlayerSettings.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/preferences/PlayerSettings.kt
@@ -2,10 +2,13 @@ package com.github.libretube.preferences
 
 import android.os.Bundle
 import androidx.preference.ListPreference
+import androidx.preference.Preference
 import androidx.preference.PreferenceFragmentCompat
 import androidx.preference.SwitchPreferenceCompat
 import com.github.libretube.R
 import com.github.libretube.activities.SettingsActivity
+import java.util.*
+import kotlin.collections.ArrayList
 
 class PlayerSettings : PreferenceFragmentCompat() {
     val TAG = "PlayerSettings"
@@ -31,5 +34,25 @@ class PlayerSettings : PreferenceFragmentCompat() {
             playerOrientation?.isEnabled = newValue != true
             true
         }
+
+        val defaultSubtitle = findPreference<ListPreference>(PreferenceKeys.DEFAULT_SUBTITLE)
+        val locales: Array<Locale> = Locale.getAvailableLocales()
+        val localeNames = ArrayList<String>()
+        val localeCodes = ArrayList<String>()
+
+        localeNames.add(context?.getString(R.string.none)!!)
+        localeCodes.add("")
+
+        locales.forEach {
+            if (!localeNames.contains(it.getDisplayLanguage())) {
+                localeNames.add(it.getDisplayLanguage())
+                localeCodes.add(it.language)
+            }
+        }
+        defaultSubtitle?.entries = localeNames.toTypedArray()
+        defaultSubtitle?.entryValues = localeCodes.toTypedArray()
+        defaultSubtitle?.summaryProvider = Preference.SummaryProvider<ListPreference> { preference ->
+            preference.entry
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/preferences/PreferenceHelper.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/preferences/PreferenceHelper.kt
index 8d677c613..89522853d 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/preferences/PreferenceHelper.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/preferences/PreferenceHelper.kt
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ object PreferenceHelper {
         editor.apply()
     }
 
-    fun getString(key: String?, defValue: String?): String? {
-        return settings.getString(key, defValue)
+    fun getString(key: String?, defValue: String?): String {
+        return settings.getString(key, defValue)!!
     }
 
     fun getInt(key: String?, defValue: Int): Int {
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ object PreferenceHelper {
     }
 
     fun saveToSearchHistory(query: String) {
-        var historyList = getSearchHistory().toMutableList()
+        val historyList = getSearchHistory().toMutableList()
 
         if ((historyList.contains(query))) {
             // remove from history list if already contained
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/preferences/PreferenceKeys.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/preferences/PreferenceKeys.kt
index 9065b83d2..30954e1ce 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/preferences/PreferenceKeys.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/preferences/PreferenceKeys.kt
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ object PreferenceKeys {
     const val SEEKBAR_PREVIEW = "seekbar_preview"
     const val PLAYER_AUDIO_FORMAT = "player_audio_format"
     const val PLAYER_AUDIO_QUALITY = "player_audio_quality"
+    const val DEFAULT_SUBTITLE = "default_subtitle"
 
     /**
      * Download
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index d234e2b91..f60c5d1c0 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -264,4 +264,5 @@
     <string name="playerAudioQuality">Audio quality</string>
     <string name="best_quality">Best quality</string>
     <string name="worst_quality">Worst quality</string>
+    <string name="default_subtitle_language">Default subtitle language</string>
 </resources>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/xml/player_settings.xml b/app/src/main/res/xml/player_settings.xml
index 32c0d5822..43e83b736 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/xml/player_settings.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/xml/player_settings.xml
@@ -71,6 +71,12 @@
             app:summary="@string/buffering_goal_summary"
             app:title="@string/buffering_goal" />
 
+        <ListPreference
+            android:defaultValue="none"
+            android:icon="@drawable/ic_caption"
+            app:key="default_subtitle"
+            app:title="@string/default_subtitle_language" />
+
     </PreferenceCategory>
 
     <PreferenceCategory app:title="@string/behavior">