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How to turn autoplay on or off on YouTube
We’ve all been there. You’re watching YouTube and, once your video ends, another seemingly unrelated video recommended by YouTube begins automatically. This feature, known as autoplay, can be great for entertainment value but a time-waster productivity-wise. Let’s discuss how to turn off autoplay on YouTube.
QUICK ANSWER
To turn autoplay off on YouTube, click a video to start playing it and hover your mouse over the main video area. The autoplay slider is located in the video controls; click it to turn the function on or off.
JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS
What is autoplay on YouTube?
Autoplay is YouTube’s way of getting you to watch more content continuously. Instead of stopping playback at the end of the video you started watching of your own volition, YouTube’s algorithm picks either a video containing content related to your current video or a video related to your watch history. This video will then “autoplay,” or play automatically.
How to turn off autoplay on YouTube
Mobile app (within Settings)
Enabling or disabling autoplay on the app is now very easy from Settings.
To do so, tap your profile picture > Settings > Autoplay. Within the Autoplay menu, you can tap the Autoplay next video slider to enable or disable the function.
Mobile app (within a video)
To find the autoplay controls, go to any video you want and start playing it on the YouTube app. Tap anywhere on the video to reveal the controls.
The autoplay slider is located along the top, next to the Cast, Subtitles/CC, and Settings buttons. Tap the slider to toggle the function on or off.
Desktop
Go to YouTube and start playing a video.
Move your mouse over the video to reveal the playback controls.
The autoplay slider is located along the bottom, next to the Cast, Subtitles/CC, and Settings buttons.
If the slider is on the right and it has a play triangle in the middle, then Autoplay is on. If the slider is on the left and has the pause lines in the middle, that means Autoplay is off.
Click the slider to toggle the function on or off.
FAQs
Autoplay on YouTube is one of those functions that is often enabled by default. Follow the steps above to disable autoplay.