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How to Disable Autoplay Feature on YouTube Videos

YouTube’s autoplay feature automatically plays the next video after the video you are currently watching finishes. This can be convenient if you want to watch multiple videos in a playlist or queue, but annoying if you only want to watch one specific video. Fortunately, YouTube allows you to easily disable autoplay.

What is YouTube Autoplay?

The YouTube autoplay feature has two main functions:

  • Autoplay next video: Automatically starts playing the next video in line after the current video finishes. This could be a video YouTube recommends based on your watch history or a video manually added to a playlist or queue.
  • Inline playback: Automatically starts playing videos as you scroll through your homepage or subscription feed without clicking on them. The video starts muted, but this can still use a lot of mobile data.

You can disable one or both of these autoplay functions. Disabling autoplay next video stops videos from automatically playing one after the other. Disabling inline playback stops videos from starting as you scroll through feeds.

How to Disable Autoplay on Desktop

Disabling autoplay on desktop is simple:

  1. Go to YouTube.com and start playing any video.
  2. Hover your mouse over the playing video to bring up the video controls.
  3. Click the Autoplay toggle switch below the video to turn it off (gray).

This will disable both autoplay next video and inline playback. The setting should stay disabled across all videos and future sessions.

You can also disable autoplay via desktop YouTube settings:

  1. Click on your profile picture > Settings.
  2. Go to Playback setup > Autoplay.
  3. Uncheck the box next to Autoplay videos.

How to Disable Autoplay on Mobile

To disable autoplay on the YouTube mobile app:

  1. Tap on your profile picture.
  2. Go to Settings > Autoplay.
  3. Turn off the switch next to Autoplay next video.

You can also disable autoplay on a per video basis:

  1. Tap on a video to start playing it.
  2. Tap the Autoplay toggle switch next to the Cast, CC, and Settings buttons to turn it off.

Disable Autoplay on Smart TVs and Game Consoles

The process to disable autoplay on smart TVs and game consoles that have the YouTube app is:

  1. Open the YouTube app.
  2. Go to Settings.
  3. Select Autoplay.
  4. Choose Off.

Browser Extensions to Disable Autoplay

If toggling the autoplay switch doesn’t work or you want a more permanent solution, browser extensions can force autoplay to stay disabled:

These extensions disable autoplay automatically across YouTube by default, but let you enable it manually on a per video basis if needed.

Why Disable Autoplay on YouTube?

There are a few reasons you may want to disable YouTube’s autoplay feature:

  • Save mobile data: Autoplaying videos can quickly use up mobile data without you realizing.
  • Avoid unwanted videos: Stops videos you have no interest in playing automatically.
  • Prevent disruptions: Having a video suddenly start playing while reading comments or descriptions can be disruptive.
  • Reduce distractions: Eliminates videos automatically grabbing your attention while trying to focus on something else.
  • Conserve bandwidth: Prevents wasting bandwidth on background videos you aren’t actually watching.

So if you find YouTube autoplay annoying or detrimental, now you know how to disable it with a simple toggle switch or browser extension. Enjoy YouTube on your own terms!

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