The drama nobody is talking about (it’s bad)
Spill Central
1.3M views · 1 day ago
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How to turn off autoplay on YouTube
Autoplay is the switch that starts another video when one ends. YouTube keeps it separately on each device, so turning it off on your laptop leaves your phone and TV as they were. Below are the steps for each, plus the different setting that makes videos play as you scroll, and what autoplay doesn’t cover.
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Autoplay off stops the next video. Hide Up next also removes the suggestions waiting for a click.
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Comments
@PrankPatrol
New prank video is up, go watch it 🔥🔥
@lena_k
Clearest explanation of comet ice I have seen. Thank you!
@SpillCentral
The drama in these replies 👀 full story on our channel
@tom.r
The part at 4:12 blew my mind.
@mira.dev
Reaction channels, please don’t steal this one 😅
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Where the switch is
All of these come from YouTube’s autoplay help page.
| Device | How to turn autoplay off |
|---|---|
| Computer | Open any video and click the Autoplay switch at the bottom of the player. |
| iPhone, iPad, Android | Tap the Autoplay switch at the top of the player, or tap your profile picture, then Settings, then Autoplay. |
| Smart TV or console | In the YouTube app, open Settings and scroll to Autoplay. |
| Casting from a phone | Tap the control bar at the bottom of the screen to open the queue, then use the Autoplay switch. |
| Google smart display | In the Google Home app, choose the display, then Settings, Notifications & digital wellbeing, YouTube Settings. |
On a computer, step by step
Open any video
The setting lives on the player, not in YouTube’s settings page.
Click the Autoplay switch
It’s at the bottom of the player, near the captions and settings buttons. Point at it and YouTube tells you whether autoplay is on or off.
Repeat in other browsers
Each browser on each computer keeps its own setting.
Videos that play while you scroll
If videos start playing on Home as you scroll past them, that’s a different setting. YouTube calls it the inline player:
- On a computer, click your profile picture, then Settings, then Playback and performance, and turn off Inline playback. You’ll still see 3-second previews when you point at a video.
- In the app, tap your profile picture, then Settings, General, Playback in feeds, and choose Off. “Wi-Fi only” is the middle option.
Good to know
- It stops by itself. YouTube stops autoplay after 30 minutes of inactivity on a mobile network, and after 4 hours on Wi-Fi.
- Scrolling cancels it. If you scroll past the player or start typing a comment or a search, the next video won’t start.
- Teens start with it off. Accounts for ages 13 to 17 have autoplay off by default.
What autoplay off doesn’t stop
With autoplay off, the countdown goes, but the suggestions don’t. A video still ends on a grid of other videos, the Up next column stays beside the player, and creators can still place end-screen cards in the last seconds. YouTube has no viewer setting for any of those.
On a computer, FeedCut’s Hide Up next takes all three away, so a video ends and the page goes quiet. Our guide to recommendations at the end of a video covers it in more detail.
Questions
Why does autoplay keep turning itself back on?
Autoplay is saved per device, so a new browser, phone or TV starts with its own setting. Being signed out, or in a different account, has the same effect. Turn it off once on each.
Can I turn off autoplay for my child?
Yes. For supervised accounts, a parent can turn autoplay off, and YouTube says the child may then not be able to turn it back on. For ages 13 to 17, autoplay starts off anyway.
Does turning off autoplay affect Shorts?
No. The Shorts feed is its own player that you swipe through, with no autoplay switch. To deal with it, see hiding Shorts or the Shorts feed limit.
Why does a playlist keep going with autoplay off?
A playlist plays in order by design, and so does a Mix, which is a playlist YouTube builds for you. Autoplay is about what comes after a single video.
Take YouTube back to what you came for
Block channels, words and Shorts everywhere on YouTube. Free, no account, nothing leaves your browser.