diff --git a/ios/Video/RCTVideo.m b/ios/Video/RCTVideo.m
index c151b3d090..682b957d7d 100644
--- a/ios/Video/RCTVideo.m
+++ b/ios/Video/RCTVideo.m
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ @implementation RCTVideo
   BOOL _paused;
   BOOL _repeat;
   BOOL _allowsExternalPlayback;
-  NSArray * _textTracks;
+  NSMutableArray * _textTracks;
   NSDictionary * _selectedTextTrack;
   NSDictionary * _selectedAudioTrack;
   BOOL _playbackStalled;
@@ -433,6 +433,29 @@ - (void)playerItemPrepareText:(AVAsset *)asset assetOptions:(NSDictionary * __nu
                             error:nil];
   
   NSMutableArray* validTextTracks = [NSMutableArray array];
+  
+
+  /**
+   * Load an useless / almost empty VTT file in the list with available tracks. This track gets selected when you give type: "disabled" as the selectedTextTrack
+   * This is needed because the player doesn't disable the texttrack otherwise. Now it does because it load a VTT file without content.
+   * More on this issue here: https://github.com/react-native-community/react-native-video/issues/1144
+   */
+  NSError *error;
+  NSString *filePath = [[NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES) firstObject] stringByAppendingPathComponent:@"empty.vtt"];
+  if (![[NSFileManager defaultManager] isReadableFileAtPath:filePath]){
+    NSString *stringToWrite = @"WEBVTT\n\n1\n98:00:00.100 --> 98:00:00.200\n.\n\n2\n99:00:00.000 --> 99:00:00.100\n..";
+    [stringToWrite writeToFile:filePath atomically:YES encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding error:&error];
+  }
+  if (error == nil){
+    NSMutableDictionary *emptyVTTDictionary = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] init];
+    emptyVTTDictionary[@"language"] = @"disabled";
+    emptyVTTDictionary[@"label"] = @"NameIsRequiredButItDoesntMatterBecauseThisIsTheEmptyVttFile";
+    emptyVTTDictionary[@"uri"] = filePath;
+    emptyVTTDictionary[@"type"] = @"text/vtt";
+    
+    [_textTracks addObject:emptyVTTDictionary];
+  }
+  
   for (int i = 0; i < _textTracks.count; ++i) {
     AVURLAsset *textURLAsset;
     NSString *textUri = [_textTracks objectAtIndex:i][@"uri"];
@@ -618,6 +641,13 @@ - (void)observeValueForKeyPath:(NSString *)keyPath ofObject:(id)object change:(N
           }
         }
         
+        NSMutableArray *availableTextTracks = [[NSMutableArray alloc] initWithArray:[self getTextTrackInfo]];
+          
+        // Remove the empty subtitle file from the results (since it should be selected using {type: "disabled"})
+        if (availableTextTracks.count > 0 && [[availableTextTracks objectAtIndex:availableTextTracks.count - 1][@"language"] isEqual: @"disabled"]) {
+          [availableTextTracks removeObjectAtIndex:availableTextTracks.count - 1];
+        }
+        
         if (self.onVideoLoad && _videoLoadStarted) {
           self.onVideoLoad(@{@"duration": [NSNumber numberWithFloat:duration],
                              @"currentTime": [NSNumber numberWithFloat:CMTimeGetSeconds(_playerItem.currentTime)],
@@ -633,7 +663,7 @@ - (void)observeValueForKeyPath:(NSString *)keyPath ofObject:(id)object change:(N
                                  @"orientation": orientation
                                  },
                              @"audioTracks": [self getAudioTrackInfo],
-                             @"textTracks": [self getTextTrackInfo],
+                             @"textTracks": availableTextTracks,
                              @"target": self.reactTag});
         }
         _videoLoadStarted = NO;
@@ -984,9 +1014,10 @@ - (void) setSideloadedText {
   }
   
   int selectedTrackIndex = RCTVideoUnset;
-  
+  bool isDisabled = NO;
+
   if ([type isEqualToString:@"disabled"]) {
-    // Do nothing. We want to ensure option is nil
+    isDisabled = YES;
   } else if ([type isEqualToString:@"language"]) {
     NSString *selectedValue = _selectedTextTrack[@"value"];
     for (int i = 0; i < textTracks.count; ++i) {
@@ -1038,6 +1069,11 @@ - (void) setSideloadedText {
     }
     [_player.currentItem.tracks[i] setEnabled:isEnabled];
   }
+  
+  // Make sure that the empty VTT track is enabled when it received: type = disabled
+  if (isDisabled) {
+    [_player.currentItem.tracks[_player.currentItem.tracks.count - 1] setEnabled:YES];
+  }
 }
 
 -(void) setStreamingText {