Here's how to turn off autoplay videos on Facebook and Twitter
Autoplay videos can be one of the most frustrating parts of social media feeds.
Facebook and Twitter turn this setting on by default to juice the view numbers for publishers and advertisers. But for users, it can be annoying at the least and, in some cases, downright disturbing--especially around violent news events.
But there is hope. It takes less than a minute to disable this feature on apps and sites alike. We've broken down the steps for each platform.
Desktop
Click the downward carrot icon in the upper righthand corner of the home screen, and select "Settings." Choose "videos" from the menu on the far left, then switch the setting for "Auto-Play Videos" to "Off."
Mobile (iOS)
In Facebook's iOS app, select the icon of three lines in the lower right corner, then Settings>Account Settings>Videos and Photos>Autoplay, and select "Never Autoplay Videos."
Mobile (Android)
The steps for Android are the same except the autoplay option is in the first settings menu.
Desktop
Click your avatar in the top right corner, then select "Settings and privacy." Click "Accessibility" at the very bottom of the column on the left and then uncheck "Video autoplay."
Mobile (iOS and Android)
In the Twitter app, select your avatar in the top left corner then follow the same steps.
Topics Facebook Social Media X/Twitter
Patrick Kulp is a Business Reporter at Mashable. Patrick covers digital advertising, online retail and the future of work. A graduate of UC Santa Barbara with a degree in political science and economics, he previously worked at the Pacific Coast Business Times.
