Autoplay videos. That's a phrase we've learned to loathe over the years, and like it or not, they're now making their way to more and more users in the Android YouTube app.
Google began testing automatically-playing videos on the homepage of YouTube for Android users last October, but this feature recently started being more widely released. It's not very obtrusive seeing as how subtitles are shown over the video instead of audio, but even then, it may be too much for some people.
If you can't stand the idea of having videos play without your permission, here's how you can turn them off.
- Open YouTube
- Tap on your profile photo in the top right
- Choose Settings
- Select Autoplay
- Tap on Autoplay on Home and then toggle Off
Along with turning off autoplay altogether, you can also choose to have them always play or only when you're connected to Wi-Fi. I personally don't mind the implementation at all, but if it's not for you, that's how you get rid of it.
Do you like autoplay videos on the YouTube app?
Download: YouTube [free]
- Desktop: On the page for a video, select the Autoplay is on button below the playhead [next to CC]. Autoplay will turn off.
- Mobile: With a video open or playing, select the Autoplay button at the top of the player to turn it off.
The YouTube autoplay feature automatically starts playing a new video after you finish watching the current video. Autoplayed videos are related to your viewing history and are help you discover more content. Here's how to turn off autoplay if you don't want new videos to begin playing on their own.
Follow these instructions to turn autoplay off through desktop versions of YouTube.
-
Open YouTube.
-
If you're not already signed into your Google account, select the blue Sign In link in the top right corner to enter your login details and sign in.
You don't necessarily need to sign into your account to turn off autoplay because the feature is turned on by default whether you are or aren't signed in. The benefit of signing into your account is that when you turn off autoplay, it will be turned off across your account—no matter which machine or device you access it from.
-
Search for or select any video to go to its page and start watching it. You don't have to watch the whole thing and can select the pause button to pause it.
-
Select the Autoplay is on button below the playhead [next to the Subtitles/closed captions button].
-
The button will turn to a pause symbol, reading Autoplay is off.
Select the play button on the video player to continue watching the video until the end or drag the red dot along the video player timeline to fast forward to the last few seconds of the video, then select play.
Follow these instructions if you want to turn autoplay off on the YouTube mobile app.
-
Open the YouTube app or visit YouTube in a mobile web browser.
-
If you're not already signed into your account, tap the profile icon in the top right corner to enter your login details and sign in [or select an existing account you've connected already].
Similar to YouTube.com on the desktop web, you don't necessarily need to sign into your account on the app or the mobile site to turn off autoplay. The feature is turned on by default whether you are or aren't signed in. Signing in just helps to streamline your autoplay setting across your account no matter where you sign in from.
-
Search for or select any video to go to its page and start watching it [without setting it to full screen]. If you don't want to watch the whole thing, select the pause button to pause it.
-
Look for the Autoplay button, at the top of the player. Select it to turn it off so that it turns from blue to white.
Videos won't autoplay if you're connected to a mobile network and have not been active for at least 30 minutes. When connected to Wi-Fi, autoplay videos will stop playing after a maximum of four hours.
-
Select the play button on the video player to continue watching the video or alternatively drag the red dot along the video player timeline to fast forward to the last few seconds of the video. Select play.
-
The video should end normally and you won't see a new video start to play automatically.
Thanks for letting us know!
Tell us why!