{"id":13913,"date":"2023-06-24T11:43:23","date_gmt":"2023-06-24T17:43:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/?p=13913"},"modified":"2026-05-25T02:00:55","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T08:00:55","slug":"how-to-turn-on-and-off-autoplay-on-youtube","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/how-to-turn-on-and-off-autoplay-on-youtube","title":{"rendered":"How To Turn On and Off Autoplay on YouTube? (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Picture this: you\u2019ve got some downtime and you\u2019ve decided to watch a YouTube video. The video ends, but instead of reverting to a blank screen, a new video assumes its place and starts playing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve ever experienced this continuous roll of YouTube videos, then you\u2019re already familiar with YouTube\u2019s Autoplay feature.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some people like Autoplay, but others don’t. There\u2019s a solution for both types of YouTube users, and it\u2019s here in this article.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Below, we teach you how to turn it on or off to suit your personal preferences. But first, let\u2019s learn how Autoplay works, its history, and why it exists.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Is Autoplay on YouTube and How Does It Work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In 2015, Google (which was YouTube\u2019s parent company before it was restructured into Alphabet Inc.) started testing<\/a> a new feature: Autoplay.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Autoplay makes it easier for YouTube users to keep watching videos as long as they want without having to select a new one after the last one ends.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But it also ensures that more videos get more views<\/a>. Users who don\u2019t realize that a new video has started may watch at least part of it before they turn it off. Those extra views help YouTube (and YouTube creators) earn more ad revenue.<\/span><\/p>\n

Autoplay springs into action as soon as the video you\u2019re watching ends.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On the blank screen at the end of the video, a timer starts counting down from 8 seconds. Beneath the timer, you have two options: a Cancel button, which will stop the next video in the queue from playing, and a Play Now button. The latter allows you to start the next video in the queue right away instead of waiting the full 8 seconds.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is this queue, you may ask? It\u2019s a list of videos that YouTube creates automatically from different categories based on your watch history and channel subscriptions. This list may be filled with content from the same channel as the first video or a similar one, or it may sprinkle in content from other channels that you\u2019re subscribed to.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Autoplay is enabled on YouTube by default, regardless of whether you use the YouTube website or the mobile app. This means that if you ever want to get rid of it, you have to turn it off yourself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Similarly, if you turn Autoplay off and find that you want it back, you\u2019ll have to make that change manually, as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

In case you haven\u2019t guessed it, YouTube\u2019s goal is to keep you watching. That\u2019s why it continues to show you videos that it \u201cthinks\u201d you would want to see without you prompting it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Like many new features that are introduced to \u201cimprove\u201d your experience with a product, Autoplay met with a lot of complaints from YouTube users. That\u2019s probably why a few months after it first launched Autoplay, YouTube installed a special toggle button that allows users to turn the divisive feature on or off at their leisure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How To Turn On and Off Autoplay on YouTube Using the Computer<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Follow these steps to turn Autoplay<\/a> on or off on YouTube using your computer.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Step #1:<\/strong> Open your preferred web browser and log into your YouTube account on youtube.com<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

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Step #2:<\/strong> Click on any video to open it. It doesn\u2019t matter which video you select.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Click<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

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Step #3:<\/strong> At the bottom of the video player, where the Play button and other controls are located, click the smaller Play symbol with a slider next to it. When you hover your mouse over it the first time, it should say Autoplay is on. After you click it, it should say Autoplay is off. Then, the small Play symbol will transition to a Pause symbol.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Autoplay<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

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Step #4:<\/strong> To turn Autoplay back on, repeat steps 1-3.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Autoplay<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

How To Turn On and Off Autoplay on YouTube Using the Mobile App<\/strong><\/h2>\n