How to Turn Off Autoplay on YouTube, Netflix and Social Apps in the UK

Autoplay is handy until it is not. One video ends and another starts, a feed keeps rolling while you meant to check one post, and before you know it, half an hour has gone. It also eats mobile data and battery. The good news is that almost every major app lets you switch it off. Here is how to do it on the apps UK viewers use most, on both phone and computer.

Turn off autoplay on YouTube

On the YouTube app, autoplay controls the "Up next" queue that starts after a video finishes.

Step 1: Open the YouTube app and tap your profile picture in the top corner.
Step 2: Tap Settings, then Autoplay.
Step 3: Switch off "Autoplay next video". On some versions this appears as a simple toggle next to the video player itself, so you can also tap the autoplay icon while a video is playing to turn it off for that session.
Step 4: If you want to go further, head back to Settings, then General, and switch off "Playback in feeds" or set it to Wi-Fi only. This stops preview clips from playing silently as you scroll the home feed.
Step 5: On a computer, open youtube.com, start any video, and look for the autoplay toggle on the right side of the player, under "Up next". Click it off. YouTube remembers the setting on that browser.

Turn off autoplay on Netflix

Netflix has two separate autoplay settings, and both are worth checking.

Step 1: Open Netflix in a web browser, since the full settings live there rather than in the mobile app.
Step 2: Click your profile icon, then Account, then your profile name under "Profile and parental controls".
Step 3: Click Change next to "Playback settings".
Step 4: Untick "Autoplay next episode in a series on all devices" if you want episodes to stop at the credits.
Step 5: Untick "Autoplay previews while browsing on all devices" to stop trailers from playing as you browse. Save your changes. The settings apply per profile, so repeat them for each person who uses the account.

Turn off autoplay on Instagram and Facebook

On Instagram, videos in your feed play as you scroll, and there is no single off switch. You can still cut down the noise.

Step 1: Open Instagram, tap your profile, then the menu, then Settings and privacy.
Step 2: Tap Data usage and media quality, then look for video settings. In most recent versions you can choose whether videos play with sound or stay muted, and set media to load only on Wi-Fi.
Step 3: To reduce video heavy content, use the "Not interested" option on reels you do not want more of. It does not stop autoplay, but it changes what the app shows you next.
Step 4: On Facebook, tap the menu, then Settings and privacy, then Settings. Look for "Media" or "Videos in News Feed" and set videos to never autoplay, or to autoplay on Wi-Fi only.
Step 5: On a computer, Facebook's video autoplay setting sits under Settings, then Videos, where you can set "Auto-play videos" to Off.

Turn off autoplay on TikTok

TikTok is built around continuous scrolling, so you cannot switch off autoplay entirely. You can still take back some control.

Step 1: Open TikTok and tap your profile, then the menu, then Settings and privacy.
Step 2: Tap Data Saver and switch it on. This reduces video quality and data use, and can make scrolling feel less relentless.
Step 3: Set a daily screen time limit under Settings and privacy, then Screen time. TikTok will nudge you when you reach it.
Step 4: Use the "Not interested" option on videos you want fewer of, and follow accounts deliberately, so your feed reflects choices you made rather than clips the app picked for you.

A few extra tips that help

If you watch on a shared TV, check the TV app settings too, since YouTube and Netflix on a smart TV can have their own autoplay toggles. If mobile data is your worry, set every app above to Wi-Fi only where that option exists, and check your phone's data usage screen at the end of the month to see which app used most. If a setting seems to have vanished after an update, search the app's settings for "autoplay" or "playback", since app makers move these options around in most recent versions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn off autoplay completely on every app?

Not quite. YouTube, Netflix and Facebook offer a clear off switch, while Instagram and TikTok only let you reduce autoplay, mute it, or limit data. For those two, screen time limits and Wi-Fi only settings are the closest equivalent.

Will turning off autoplay save mobile data?

Yes, in most cases. Autoplay loads video you never asked for, and video is the hungriest type of content for data. Switching it off, or to Wi-Fi only, is one of the simplest ways to cut data use.

Do I need to change autoplay on each device separately?

Sometimes. YouTube and Netflix remember your choice across devices once saved to your account or profile, but Facebook and Instagram settings can differ between phone and computer, so check both if you use both.