If there is one thing I hate about the internet, it’s auto-playing videos. Nothing turns me off more and makes me want to navigate away from a website faster than having a video that I didn’t ask for playing in the background. It’s an annoying trend that website designers seem to believe in as they pursue increased video viewership and advertising revenue over actual customer experience. Something
Following a recent update which Google added to their Chrome browser last year, comes news of an update coming in the new Firefox 66 browser (via TechCrunch) which allow users to automatically block the sound coming from autoplay videos. While it doesn’t turn off the autoplay videos automatically, it is at least something which makes the viewing experience a little less jarring than suddenly hearing a strange noise in the background when you’re browsing to a new site. To switch off actual auto play videos you will need to do so from a sites settings page.
What makes Firefox update a little better than Chrome, is that whereas Chrome did it on a per-site level, Firefox will block it entirely muting any website automatically, with the user needing to increase the volume manually to hear a video. It’s certainly a good step at improving the user experience on the web, though I still feel that companies need to get over auto-playing videos.
Firefox 66 is expected to drop sometime in March. An update which I will certainly be upgrading to soon so that I can rid myself of the scourge of self-playing videos. Or at least the audio they play for now.
Last Updated: February 5, 2019
BradeLunner
February 5, 2019 at 15:05
I hate damn auto playing videos! Especially when on dodgy sites and the volume is way turned up! But seriously, what a ridiculous problem to have in this day and age.
RinceThis
February 5, 2019 at 12:45
Good. I HATE it when they play bloody videos of people like Trump, which make me want to rage punch the internet and all the idiots out there.
Admiral Chief
February 5, 2019 at 14:36
I’d rather listen to Trump for days on end than listen to some leftist assclowns or SA politicians for 5 minutes
Gavin Mannion
February 7, 2019 at 10:05
is that because you hate the truth and sound arguments and prefer the ramblings of an old racist dotard who doesn’t know shit about anything?
Admiral Chief
February 7, 2019 at 13:19
OId, possibly
Racist, haha pull the other one
Doesn’t know shit, hahaha come now Gav, it is like you are not even trying
But if you don’t like him, then I’m not going to try to convince you otherwise. I like the guy, someone different, someone that doesn’t conform to the lax moral values the world has embraced of late
Guz
February 5, 2019 at 13:21
Great news, now if the can only fix the ram consumption I’d be happy, although still better than chrome.
If a website has auto playing videos I will not revisit that site, I’ve actual closed tabs for site I actaully wanted to visit but then the damn autoplay video starts and I just close it.
Would be nice to have an article comparing the different browsers and there strengths and weaknesses vs number and stats.