Are you frustrated by videos autoplaying in your Twitter timeline?
I find them annoying.
They’re disruptive. The videos often contain content I’d rather not see.
In addition, autoplay videos on mobile use up my data and can lead to draining my smartphone battery quickly.
I can’t imagine why Twitter made video autoplay the default when they released the feature in 2015.
Years later, users still complain about it.
If you’re like me and don’t like autoplay videos and GIFS in your Twitter timeline, here’s how you can turn it off.
About Twitter Video Autoplay
Twitter enabled autoplay by default for Twitter on the web, iOS, and Android.
As you scroll through your Twitter timeline, content automatically plays, though it’s muted.
Which means you’ll get autoplay for:
- Video
- Animated GIFs
How to Disable Videos from Autoplaying in Twitter
Yes, you can turn off video autoplay in Twitter.
However, it’s not a one-step process. You need to turn off video autoplay in the browser and each digital device where you use Twitter.
Here’s how to turn off video autoplay on desktop, Android, and iOS.
Disable Twitter Autoplay on Desktop Browsers
- Log in to Twitter
- In the sidebar, select More
- Select Settings and Privacy
- In the Accessibility, display, and languages section, select Data Usage
- In the Autoplay section, select the arrow
- In Autoplay, enable Never
Disable Twitter Autoplay on Android and iOS
- Select your avatar at the top of the screen
- Choose Settings and Privacy
- Select Accessibility, display and languages
- In the Data usage section, select Video autoplay
- Select Never
Originally published July 25, 2015, updated on July 29, 2019, June 2, 2021, and April 10, 2022 to reflect interface changes.
