How to Turn Off YouTube Autoplay on Every Device
Autoplay picks your next video so you don't have to. Here's how to switch it off on desktop, phone and TV, what still plays when you leave it on, and a few habits for the videos that find you anyway.
BOSLA AI Team5 min read
You search for one video. You watch it. Then another one starts on its own, and you let it run, because stopping takes a decision and the next video takes none.
That's autoplay. It's a small switch with a big effect on how a lunch break or an evening goes, and turning it off takes under a minute. Below you'll find the steps for each device, what still happens when you leave it on, and a few habits for the times the next video finds you anyway.
What autoplay actually does
When autoplay is on, YouTube plays a related video automatically after the one you're watching ends. The player shows what's up next, and if you do nothing, that's what you get.
The catch is the word "related". The next video is chosen by what the system expects you to keep watching, not by what you sat down to do. You came for a twelve-minute tutorial on spreadsheets. The follow-up could be anything, and the one after that is picked based on the follow-up. Three videos later you're somewhere you didn't plan to be, and nothing in that path was your choice.
Turning autoplay off puts the choice back where it belongs. When a video ends, it ends.
How to turn it off
These steps come from YouTube's own help page on autoplay. Menus change now and then, so if something looks different on your screen, that page is the one to check.
On desktop
- Open any video so you're on the watch screen.
- At the bottom of the video player, click the Autoplay switch to set it to Off.
On your phone or tablet (Android or iOS)
There are two ways, and either works.
- On a video, tap the Autoplay switch at the top of the video player.
- Or tap your profile picture, then Settings, then Autoplay, and switch it off.
On a TV
- Open the YouTube app on your TV.
- Go to Settings.
- Scroll to Autoplay and select Off.
If you cast from your phone, pick a video, tap the control bar at the bottom to expand the queue, and use the Autoplay switch there.
Do it on every device you use
Here's the part people miss. The setting applies to each device separately. You can turn autoplay off on your laptop and find it still on in the app on your phone, which is usually where the long evening sessions happen.
So do it once, on all of them. Laptop, phone, tablet, TV. It's five minutes in total, and you won't need to repeat it.
One note for families: YouTube says autoplay is off by default for users aged 13 to 17, and on a supervised account the option may not be available if a parent or guardian has turned it off.
If you leave it on, here's what stops it
Maybe you like autoplay for music or background talks. That's a fair choice, and it helps to know where the brakes are.
- If you scroll past the player, or type a comment or a search, the next video won't play automatically.
- At the end of a video, tap Cancel to stop the next one from starting.
- On a mobile network, autoplay stops after 30 minutes of inactivity. On Wi-Fi, it stops after 4 hours.
That last number is worth a second look. On Wi-Fi, YouTube can keep chaining videos for up to four hours without you touching the screen. If you fall asleep with it on, or leave a tab open while you work, that's a long time for someone else to choose your content.
Five habits for after the switch is off
Turning autoplay off removes one nudge. These habits take care of the rest.
- Decide the next video before you start. If you have a second video in mind, put it in a playlist or Watch Later first. Then the next click is yours. Our guide to organizing YouTube shows a simple setup.
- Search when you have a goal. The home page is built to suggest. Search is built to answer. If you came for something specific, start there, as we explain in how to learn from YouTube without losing your plan.
- Ask one question at the end of each video: did I choose what comes next? A two-second pause is often enough to break the chain.
- Set a stop time. On Android, YouTube has a bedtime reminder. Tap your profile picture, then Settings, then General, and switch on "Remind me when it's bedtime". It's off by default for people 18 and over, and the help page only covers Android, so check what your own app offers.
- Close the tab when you're done. An open tab is an invitation. A closed one is a clear ending.
If the pull happens mostly on the home page or in the sidebar rather than at the end of videos, our guide to stopping mindless scrolling on YouTube covers that side of it.
What autoplay doesn't change
Switching autoplay off stops the automatic next video. It doesn't change the suggestions waiting in the sidebar or on your home page. Those are still ranked by the same system, and a bright thumbnail can pull you out of a plan as easily as an autoplayed video can.
For that, YouTube's own controls help a lot. We walk through them in how to customize your YouTube feed, from "Not interested" to clearing your history.
Where BOSLA AI fits
BOSLA AI is a Chrome extension for YouTube on desktop, and it's in Beta. Its Blur feature can cover thumbnails and images before you read them, so the sidebar stays quiet while you watch. You choose what it covers, and the detection runs on your device. The Ad Blocker removes most video ads, so a short break doesn't turn into a long one.
It doesn't replace the autoplay switch. It makes the page around the video calmer. If that sounds useful, you can read how Blur works in how to blur YouTube thumbnails, or try the extension at boslaai.co.
Start with one switch
You don't need a new routine to begin. Open YouTube on the device you use most, find the Autoplay switch, and turn it off. Tonight, when your video ends, notice what it feels like to be the one who decides what's next.
Sources: YouTube Help, Autoplay videos; YouTube Help, Set a bedtime reminder.
