You finish a video and another one immediately starts. You put your phone down for a moment and come back to something completely unrelated. That's YouTube autoplay doing exactly what it was designed to do: keep you watching. Turning it off is straightforward on paper, but there's a catch most guides skip over: YouTube's native toggle resets itself after app updates, cache clears, and device switches. This guide covers how to turn autoplay off on every device and, more importantly, how to keep it off.
What is YouTube autoplay and how does it work?
Autoplay is a default YouTube setting that starts the next video automatically when the current one ends. If you're watching a playlist, it queues the next item in order. If you're browsing freely, the YouTube recommendation algorithm picks what plays next based on your watch history, search behavior, and engagement patterns.
According to YouTube's official autoplay help page, the setting is available on all platforms and can be toggled at any time. What that page doesn't mention: the setting does not always stay off. Many users report it reactivating after a major app update or after clearing browser storage. This is the part that frustrates people most, and we address it in each section below.
How to turn off autoplay on YouTube on desktop
The desktop browser version of YouTube makes this quick:
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Open YouTube in any browser and start playing a video.
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Look at the bottom-right corner of the video player, immediately to the right of the CC (captions) button.
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You'll see an Autoplay toggle. Click it so it turns gray.
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The change saves immediately for your current browser session.
IMPORTANT; Clearing your browser cache or switching browser profiles resets this toggle. If you use multiple browsers or clear cache regularly, the extension method below is more reliable.
Permanent fix: Chrome extension
The Disable Autoplay for YouTube extension (free, Chrome Web Store) blocks autoplay at the browser level rather than through YouTube's own settings. Because it runs independently of YouTube's preference storage, it survives cache clears and app updates. If the native toggle keeps resetting on you, this extension solves the problem permanently.
What about other browsers?
Firefox, Edge, and Safari users can find equivalent extensions by searching "disable YouTube autoplay" in their respective extension stores. The behavior and install process are the same.
How to turn off autoplay on YouTube on mobile (Android and iPhone)
Quick toggle while watching a video
The fastest method:
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Open any YouTube video.
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Look at the top-right corner of the player screen.
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You'll see an Autoplay icon. Tap it to switch it off.
This works instantly and applies to the current session. However, like the desktop toggle, it can reset after app updates.
Persistent setting through app settings
For a setting that lasts across sessions:
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Tap your profile photo in the bottom-right corner of the app.
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Go to Settings.
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Select Autoplay.
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Turn off "Autoplay next video."
This approach stores the preference in your YouTube account settings, so it should sync across devices when you're logged in. In practice, it's still not bulletproof after major app updates. The Android Authority guide notes this inconsistency and recommends checking the setting periodically after updates.
PRO TIP;
On Android, you can have separate autoplay settings for when you're on Wi-Fi versus mobile data. This is useful if you want autoplay on at home but off when using data.
How to turn off autoplay on YouTube on Smart TV
The TV app is independent from both your phone and browser. Turning autoplay off on one does not affect the other.
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Open the YouTube app on your TV.
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Navigate to Settings from the left-side menu.
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Find the Autoplay section.
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Switch it off.
TV autoplay settings tend to be more stable than mobile ones because the TV app updates less frequently. Once you turn it off, it typically stays off for longer stretches.
Autoplay keeps turning back on: how to fix it
This is the most common complaint about YouTube's autoplay setting. After an app update, a cache clear, or sometimes just reopening the app, autoplay is back on. Here's what to do:
On mobile
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Fully close the YouTube app (swipe it away in your app switcher).
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Reopen the app and go back to Settings > Autoplay.
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If it reset, turn it off again.
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On Android: go to Settings > Apps > YouTube > Storage > Clear Cache, then reopen and set it again. Counterintuitively, clearing the cache can sometimes stabilize the setting.
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If it resets repeatedly, the most reliable fix is to use a browser-based workaround: watch YouTube through Chrome on your phone and install the Disable Autoplay extension.
On desktop
Use the Chrome extension instead of the native toggle. The extension does not depend on YouTube's storage and is not affected by cache clears or YouTube updates. It's the single most effective fix for persistent autoplay on desktop.
A note on autoplay in playlists
Autoplay in playlists works differently from autoplay in regular browsing. Even when autoplay is off, YouTube may still continue to the next video in a playlist you've started. This is considered a playlist navigation feature, not the same autoplay setting. If you want to stop a playlist from advancing, you'll need to pause the video manually or turn on loop mode for a single video.
Note for content creators
If you're a YouTube creator, autoplay works both ways. Your videos appear in other users' autoplay queues, which drives views. Tracking how your channel grows over time matters, and tools like the YouTube subscriber counter give you real-time data on your audience size. For a broader picture of revenue potential, the YouTube money calculator estimates ad earnings based on your current view counts.
Understanding engagement metrics like watch time, click-through rate, and retention rate helps you see how the autoplay system interacts with your content. Videos with strong retention are more likely to appear in others' autoplay queues, making engagement data essential for growth planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does turning off autoplay affect video recommendations?
No. Recommendations are determined by the YouTube algorithm regardless of your autoplay setting. Turning off autoplay just means the next recommended video does not start automatically. You still see the same suggestions on your home feed and in the "Up Next" panel.
Why does my autoplay setting keep resetting?
YouTube stores autoplay preferences in a combination of server-side account settings and local browser/app storage. When local storage is cleared, or when a major app update overwrites stored preferences, the setting reverts to the default (on). The Chrome extension method bypasses this entirely because it operates outside YouTube's storage system.
Can I set autoplay differently on different devices?
Yes. Each YouTube surface (web browser, mobile app, TV app) stores its own autoplay setting. You can have autoplay off on your laptop and on on your TV. The settings do not automatically sync across platforms.
Does autoplay work when I'm not logged in?
Yes, autoplay is on by default even without a YouTube account. Without a logged-in account, the setting is stored in your browser's local storage, which means it's more likely to reset when you clear cookies or cache.
Will turning off autoplay stop Shorts from playing automatically?
Autoplay and Shorts are separate settings. Turning off autoplay stops the next standard video from queuing. Shorts have their own scroll-based behavior and their own separate controls. For Shorts, refer to the companion guide on disabling YouTube Shorts.
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