How to turn off auto playing videos on Facebook

By Peter Cohen
last updated

Facebook's default status is to automatically play the video once it loads. I'd prefer it not to do that, because I don't like my attention — or my Mac's attention — getting hijacked like that. There's an easy way to fix the video auto-play problem. It doesn't involve mucking up your Mac with content blocking software or web browser plug-ins. It's right there in Facebook's preferences.

Once you've changed this setting, you will see video thumbnails on Facebooks, with a big white play button in the center. Clicking on the video will start it.

How to turn off Facebook video auto play on your Mac

  1. Open Facebook in your web browser.
  2. Click the downward facing arrow on the right side of Facebook's navigation bar.
  3. Select Settings.
  4. Click on Videos in the left sidebar, below Support Box.

  1. Auto Play Videos is the second option in that window. Its default setting is to automatically play videos. If you click the Default button, you can change it to On or Off.

  1. Click on the Facebook icon in the upper left corner of the window or close the web browser and you're done.

Now you won't have to worry about anything annoying, disturbing, or downright offensive smacking you in the eyes every time you open your Facebook feed.

6 Comments
  • Thanks for this, Peter. I wish this feature was on Safari in general, iOS and OS X.
  • Thanks a lot Peter! I was wondering if that was just one of those things that we need to embrace even if we like it or not, and since that "feature" begun, I always wanted to turn it off.
  • Paper app. Good way to not see ads of any line on Facebook Sent from the iMore App
  • Even better, delete your Facebook account. :-) Sent from the iMore App
  • Yep, and the government could have just let the banks fail back in 2008 as well. How well would that have worked out. Unfortunately, Social Lives, Business Viability, etc. are often tied to Facebook these days. Welcome to the Internet Age. Deleting a Facebook account is often not "better" and often inadvisable - for both consumers and businesses. Constantly reaching out via other means to stay in the loop gets tiresome. Why do you think these social networks exist? Chiefly due to those reasons. It's a better way for people to stay in the loop with others, even if some may "abuse" that convenience by uploading obnoxious videos. Frankly, the Auto-Playing videos are not an issue when: 1. It only happens on WiFI
    2. Audio isn't Played by Default, or
    3. The Audio level isn't obnoxious It's when the videos start playing on cellular connections automatically and/or the Audio is terrible or disruptive that it becomes a huge issue. There is a pretty obvious option to turn it off. It's just that many people don't even bother to set up their accounts properly when they create it (going through EVERYTHING should be the first thing you do after you create any internet account - be it Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Mobile Nations, Google, ... whatever).
  • I might need this later, thank u