Autoplaying videos and GIFs can feel overwhelming. They can consume your mobile data, drain your battery, and divert your attention from what you actually want to see. Sometimes, autoplay even pushes content you don’t want in front of you, whether it’s a viral clip you’d rather avoid, a spoiler, or something disturbing.

Whatever your reason—saving data, reducing distractions, or simply regaining control over your feed—turning off autoplay is possible on most social media platforms. Below, you’ll find detailed steps for Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), Bluesky, and Threads.

Facebook

Facebook loves autoplay because videos keep people scrolling longer. But you can turn it off.

Steps:

1. Tap your profile picture icon.

   • On a desktop, you’ll find it in the top right corner.

   • On mobile, it’s in the bottom navigation bar.

2. Scroll down to Settings & Privacy.

3. Select Preferences.

4. Tap Media.

5. In the Video Playback section, choose Never.

Quick path:

Settings > Preferences > Media > Video Playback > Never

This will stop videos from playing automatically in your Feed and Stories, giving you more control over what loads.

Read More: Facebook Is Turning All Video Uploads Into Reels

Instagram

Instagram is a little trickier. It doesn’t have a direct “turn off autoplay” setting, but you can make videos load slower and reduce autoplay’s impact.

Steps:

1. Go to your profile picture in the bottom-right corner.

2. Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right.

3. Scroll down to Settings and Activity.

4. Tap your app and media.

5. Go to Media quality.

6. Toggle on Use less cellular data.

Quick path:

Profile > Settings and activity > Your app and media > Media quality > Use less cellular data

This setting won’t fully stop autoplay, but it helps slow down video playback when you’re off Wi-Fi. Also, Instagram videos won’t play sound automatically; you’ll need to tap for audio.

X (Twitter)

X gives you two useful options: you can stop videos from autoplaying, and you can also hide media previews.

Steps to disable video autoplay:

1. Tap your profile picture in the top-left to open the sidebar. (On desktop, the sidebar is always visible.)

2. Scroll down and select Settings and privacy.

   • On mobile, you may need to tap the three dots at the bottom of the menu to find it.

3. Tap Accessibility, Display, and Languages.

4. Choose Data usage.

5. Under Video autoplay, select Never.

Steps to disable media previews (optional but useful):

1. Go back to Settings and privacy.

2. Tap Display and Sound.

3. Toggle off media previews.

Quick path:

Settings and privacy > Accessibility, display, and languages > Data usage > Video autoplay

Settings and privacy > Display and sound > Media previews

This gives you full control: videos won’t autoplay, and previews won’t distract you while scrolling.

Bluesky

Bluesky keeps things simple when it comes to autoplay.

Steps:

1. Tap the three-line menu icon (top-left on mobile). On desktop, it’s visible in the sidebar.

2. Scroll to Settings.

3. Select content and media.

4. Toggle off Autoplay videos and GIFs.

Quick path:

Settings > Content and media > Autoplay videos and GIFs

That’s it. One toggle, and autoplay is gone.

Read More: Bluesky vs. X: What Sets It Apart as a Social Media Alternative?

Threads

Unfortunately, Threads doesn’t yet give you the option to turn off autoplay.

This is surprising, given that it’s built by Meta (just like Facebook and Instagram). Many users have requested this feature, so it may eventually be added to the roadmap. For now, you’ll have to deal with autoplay until Meta introduces more controls.

Why Turning Off Autoplay Matters

Autoplay isn’t just about convenience; it can affect how you use social media in several ways:

• Save cellular data: Videos can consume hundreds of MBs in just minutes. If you’re on a limited plan, autoplay can be costly.

• Reduce distractions: Autoplay grabs your attention and keeps you scrolling. Turning it off helps you focus.

• Protect mental health: You won’t be forced to watch content you didn’t choose, including disturbing clips.

• Conserve battery life: Running fewer videos means your phone lasts longer between charges.

• Take back control: You decide what plays, when they play, and whether you even want to see them.

Read More: How to delete Instagram, Facebook, and Threads

Comparison Across Platforms

FAQs

1. Why does autoplay exist on every platform?

Because it keeps users watching longer. The longer you stay, the more ads you see, and the more revenue platforms generate.

2. Does turning off autoplay really save mobile data?

Yes. Streaming video can use up to 2–3 MB per second. Over a month, autoplay can burn through gigabytes of data.

3. Can I set autoplay to work only on Wi-Fi?

Yes. Platforms like Facebook and X let you allow autoplay only when connected to Wi-Fi. This helps if you want videos to load at home but not on mobile data.

4. Will turning off autoplay stop ads from showing?

No. Ads will still appear, but they won’t start playing automatically if you’ve disabled autoplay.

5. Why don’t Instagram and Threads offer a full autoplay off switch?

Meta prioritizes video engagement to compete with TikTok. They may add this feature later due to user demand, but for now, the options are limited.