Autoplay is maybe not as grating as auto tune, but it sure is annoying. Social networks have been quick to add the "feature" to their offerings lately, with Twitter the latest to sign on.
Going forward, videos, Vines, and GIFs will automatically play in your Twitter timeline as you scroll, just as they do on Facebook and Instagram. They will be muted by default; tap or turn your phone horizontally for sound.
It's the price you pay for a free service, but there are other drawbacks. On mobile, the constant looping can eat into your data and drain your battery, so you do have the option to turn it off or reduce usage. How? Read on to find out.
Twitter If autoplay videos have rolled out to your account, you can turn it off on Twitter.com or through the iOS app (autoplay hasn't hit Android yet). Through Twitter.com, go to your profile and select Settings > Account > Video Tweets, and uncheck Autoplay Videos.
On iOS, go to Settings > Video Autoplay and select Never Play Videos Automatically, or choose to only feature autoplay ads when you're on Wi-Fi to save data.
Facebook Autoplay in Facebook means views views views, so the company is unlikely to turn it off. Videos come to life like the Daily Prophet newspaper in Harry Potter. But if autoplay in Facebook is less than magical to you, you can make it disappear. On desktop, go to Settings > Video and select the desired drop-down menu under Auto-Play Videos (Default, On, or Off).
On Android, select the hamburger/three lines icon in the Facebook app, choose App Settings > Video Auto-Play and pick your desired setting.
On iPhone, select the hamburger/More button, scroll to Account Settings > Videos and Photos and select whether you want videos to play while using cellular and Wi-Fi, on Wi-Fi only, or never. On iPad, navigate to hamburger menu > Settings > Videos > Autoplay and pick a setting.
Instagram You can fit so much into a 15-second Instagram video. But you're probably looking at Instagram on your phone, so you've got to be selective about how you use your bandwidth. Luckily, Facebook-owned Instagram lets you opt into less bandwidth-intensive video usage. On mobile, go to your profile, select the Gear (iOS) or hamburger (Android) icon on the top right, select Cellular Data Use, and choose Use Less Data.
YouTube You've watched a YouTube video and you move on to another tab but what is that sound you hear? It's another video. Google is not one to give up any sweet, sweet video views, so it too has enabled autoplay on YouTube.com. To disable it, look at the top right of your screen near Up Next. You'll see a slider. If it's blue and has a check mark, that means autoplay is on. Slide it to the left to turn it off.
Netflix Sometimes bingeing is not your fault. You're just going to watch that one episode of the new season of Orange is the New Black and get on with the rest of your day, you tell yourself. But as the credits roll, a countdown to the next episode starts and autoplays after a few seconds. If you want to curb your viewing, go to your account, select Playback Settings, and uncheck the option to Play Next Episode Automatically.