/ How to

How to Stop and Disable Autoplay Videos in Google Chrome Browser

Autoplay videos can be annoying and distracting when browsing the web. As you scroll through a webpage, videos may start playing automatically with sound, disrupting your browsing experience. Fortunately, there are a few methods to stop and disable autoplay videos in the Google Chrome browser. As a tech writer with over 5 years of experience, I will explain the step-by-step process to control autoplay videos using Chrome browser settings and extensions.

Use AutoplayStopper Chrome Extension

One of the easiest ways to stop autoplay videos is by installing the AutoplayStopper extension in Chrome. Here’s how to set it up:

  1. Open the Chrome browser and go to the AutoplayStopper page in the Chrome Web Store.
  2. Click on “Add to Chrome” to install the extension.
  3. A popup will appear – click “Add Extension” to confirm.
  4. The AutoplayStopper icon will now show up near the address bar.

Once installed, the extension will automatically stop videos from playing on most sites you visit. If a video does start playing, click the AutoplayStopper icon to block that site from autoplaying content.

You can whitelist specific sites to allow autoplay or enable proactive blocking for problematic sites from the extension’s settings. AutoplayStopper offers a seamless browsing experience without noisy or distracting videos.

Use Chrome Flags to Block Videos

Chrome has an experimental feature called “Flags” that lets you customize browser behaviors, including autoplay settings. Here are the steps to use Chrome flags:

  1. Type chrome://flags/#autoplay-policy in the address bar and press Enter.
  2. Change the Autoplay Policy flag drop-down to “Document user activation is required”.
  3. Click “RELAUNCH NOW” at the bottom to restart Chrome.

Now videos will not autoplay until you tap or click to activate them. This method blocks videos across all websites and works on Chrome desktop, Android, and Chrome OS.

Do note that Chrome flags are experimental and may change with future updates. But for now, this offers system-wide control over autoplay videos.

Configure Site Settings

You can also stop autoplay videos by configuring Chrome’s site settings:

  1. Click the 3-dot menu > Settings
  2. Click “Privacy and security” > “Site Settings”
  3. Scroll down and click “Media” > “Autoplay”
  4. Toggle the switch off to disable autoplay

This will prevent videos and audio from automatically playing on all websites. You can still play media manually by tapping or clicking on them.

Use Third-Party Extensions

If the above methods do not work, try using third-party Chrome extensions like Video Autoplay Blocker, HTML5 Video Autoplay Blocker, etc. These extensions sit on top of Chrome and block video autoplay based on custom rules.

Most extensions are customizable, so you can whitelist certain sites and choose specific blocking behaviors as needed. They provide more granular control compared to Chrome flags.

Mute Sites by Default

You cannot fully disable video autoplay in the current versions of Chrome. However, you can mute audio by default to stop loud videos from blaring out sound automatically:

  1. Click the 3-dot menu > Settings
  2. Choose “Privacy and security”
  3. Scroll down to the “Site Settings” section
  4. Click “Sound”
  5. Select “Don’t allow sites to automatically play sound”

Now websites that autoplay videos will be muted automatically. You can manually enable sound for specific sites whenever needed. This offers a workaround to control audio from autoplaying media.

Conclusion

Preventing video autoplay in Chrome does require some tweaking, but is possible using the right methods. I recommend using the AutoplayStopper extension for the most seamless experience.

The Chrome flags method also works well for system-wide control. For selective site muting, configure the sound settings to mute autoplaying media.

With these tips, you can browse the web without annoying autoplay videos disrupting your experience. Let me know if you have any other questions!

Related Posts