If you want to turn off autoplay for Youtube playlists, there are a few simple steps you can take. The main options are to disable autoplay at the account level, disable autoplay for individual playlists, or use a browser extension to stop autoplay.
Disable account-wide autoplay
The easiest way to stop autoplay for all Youtube playlists is to disable it at the account level. Here’s how:
- Go to your Youtube settings by clicking on your profile picture, choosing “Settings”, then clicking “Autoplay”.
- Under “Autoplay”, toggle the switch off for “Autoplay next video”.
- Also toggle off “Autoplay videos on the home page and subscriptions feed”.
- Scroll down and toggle off “Autoplay videos in playlists”.
With autoplay disabled globally, no playlists will automatically start the next video. You’ll have to manually click to play each video.
Disable autoplay for individual playlists
If you only want to disable autoplay for certain playlists, you can toggle settings for each playlist individually.
- Open the playlist and click the 3 vertical dots next to the playlist title.
- Select “Settings” from the dropdown menu.
- Under “Autoplay”, toggle off “Autoplay next video”.
- Click “Save” to apply the autoplay setting for that playlist.
Repeat these steps for any other playlists you want to disable autoplay for. Other playlists will still autoplay unless you turn it off globally.
Use a browser extension to stop autoplay
Another option is to install an autoplay blocking browser extension. These extensions will automatically prevent videos from autoplaying on Youtube and other video sites.
For Chrome, some top-rated extensions include:
- Disable HTML5 Autoplay
- AutoplayStopper
- Stop Autoplay for YouTube
For Firefox, popular choices are:
- Disable HTML5 Autoplay
- Stop YouTube Autoplay
- Stop AutoPlay Next for YouTube
And for Safari, options include:
- Safari Autoplay Block
- Autoplay Blocker
- AutoplayStopper
Once installed, these extensions will automatically block autoplaying videos from Youtube and other sites. You don’t have to change any settings.
Understanding Youtube autoplay
To better understand how to control autoplay, it helps to know how Youtube’s autoplay feature works.
By default, Youtube autoplays related videos after your current video finishes. This happens both on individual videos and within playlists.
Autoplay is based on Youtube’s recommendation algorithm. It selects and queues up videos similar to what you’re currently watching, based on factors like:
- Video keywords, tags, and metadata
- Your watch history and previous interactions
- Content of the video itself
- What other viewers watched before/after
The autoplay feature is designed to keep you watching more videos and spending more time on Youtube.
Autoplay options
In your Youtube account settings, there are 3 main autoplay options:
- Autoplay next video – Autoplays the next video in a playlist queue
- Autoplay videos on the home page and subscriptions feed – Autoplays videos as you scroll through homepage and feed
- Autoplay videos in playlists – Autoplays next video when playlist video ends
Disabling these, especially the 3rd option, prevents autoplay in playlists. The playlist queue will stop after the video you manually select.
Autoplay on mobile
In the Youtube mobile app, there is an option to disable autoplay by toggling off “Autoplay next video” in Settings > Autoplay.
However, this only applies to autoplay after individual videos, not within playlists. To fully disable autoplay on mobile, you need to use a 3rd party app like NewPipe or SkyTube which allow toggling playlist autoplay.
Reasons to disable Youtube autoplay
Here are some common reasons you may want to turn off Youtube’s autoplay feature:
- Avoid getting stuck in a Youtube rabbit hole
- Stop inappropriate/explicit videos from automatically playing
- Reduce distractions and stay focused on specific playlists
- Save mobile data usage
- Improve webpage loading performance
- Avoid spoilers when queue plays unrelated videos
- Prevent autoplay eating up bandwidth on metered connections
Disabling autoplay returns control of your watching experience back to you. The tradeoff is you’ll have to manually select each next video instead of letting Youtube’s algorithm decide.
Customizing autoplay settings
Beyond fully enabling or disabling autoplay, you can also customize its behavior to suit your preferences.
Restrict autoplay to certain playlists
As mentioned earlier, you can disable autoplay on a per playlist basis. An alternative is to leave autoplay on globally but disable it only for selected playlists.
This way autoplay works normally on your liked videos, subscriptions, and recommendations, but won’t kick in for entertainment playlists where you want more control.
Use “Don’t recommend channel” option
When viewing videos from a channel you don’t want recommended, use the “Don’t recommend channel” option. Click the 3 dot menu next to a video title, then choose “Don’t recommend channel”.
This prevents that channel’s videos from appearing in autoplay queues. It improves relevancy of what gets autoplayed next.
Reset autoplay recommendations
If your autoplay recommendations have drifted and you want to reset the algorithm, you can clear your Youtube watch history. This resets the recommendations to only factor your subscriptions and general preferences instead of full viewing history.
To clear watch history, go to Youtube settings and choose “History & privacy”. Click “Clear watch history” to wipe your history and reset autoplay.
Use Incognito/Private mode
Watching Youtube in incognito or private browser windows also prevents that viewing session from influencing your recommendations and autoplay. It temporariliy resets the algorithm if you want variety.
Troubleshooting autoplay issues
If you’ve disabled autoplay but are still noticing some videos play automatically, here are some things to check:
- Confirm autoplay is toggled off in your account settings. It may have gotten re-enabled.
- Check individual playlist settings. The global autoplay setting doesn’t apply to playlists.
- Make sure your browser extensions are enabled if you’re using them to block autoplay.
- Some videos hosted on different domains may autoplay despite settings. Upgrade extensions to cover more sites.
- On mobile, use an alternate app like NewPipe to fully control autoplay.
- Clear cookies/cache if your browser has outdated autoplay permissions saved.
Getting unwanted autoplay under control again is just a matter of tracking down which option needs tweaking. Following the steps in this guide should help resolve most errant autoplay issues.
Other playback options to customize
Along with autoplay, there are other Youtube playback options you can tweak for a better viewing experience:
- Looping playback – Repeats a single video or playlist indefinitely. Can disable if it gets annoying.
- Annotations – On-screen overlays added by video creators. Can hide if too distracting.
- Playback speed – Speed up or slow down playrate. Useful for info-dense videos.
- Auto-generated captions – Enables automated closed captions. Helpful if you can’t listen to audio.
Experiment with these and other settings under the “Playback and Performance” section of Youtube settings to customize your preferences.
Using 3rd party apps for more control
If you still find the native Youtube options limiting, consider using a 3rd party Youtube app. Many alternative apps give you enhanced settings for a more customized experience.
On mobile, NewPipe and SkyTube allow granular control over autoplay on both individual videos and playlists. You can also import subscriptions to easily access your preferred content.
On desktop, tools like FreeTube and Invidious give you open source players with extensive configuration options. Features like always showing dislikes, hiding comments, downloading capabilities, and slimmer interfaces can improve the Youtube experience.
While 3rd party apps sometimes lag behind the main Youtube service in features, their attention to customizability and user choice make them worth looking into.
Conclusion
It’s easy to take back control of autoplay in Youtube playlists. A few simple tweaks to your account settings, browser extensions, or mobile apps can disable autoplay and prevent you from falling down unwanted Youtube rabbit holes.
Understanding how Youtube’s algorithm recommends videos gives insight into how autoplay works. This can help you fine-tune things more to your liking.
Regaining some autonomy over your Youtube experience encourages more mindful watching. But a balance is also good – don’t be afraid to let autoplay surprise you with something new once in a while too!