The End of Autoplay is Nigh (Finally!)

Pete Prestipino
by Pete Prestipino 15 Sep, 2017
The End of Autoplay is Nigh (Finally!)
There are few things that bother me more than when websites autoplay videos; it's infuriating in most instances and I can't for the life of me figure out why anyone, advertisers in particular, thinks the practice is a good idea. 

I'm not alone in this anti-autoplay sentiment, of course, and after years of suffering from this digital annoyance, it appears that the end of this practice is finally nigh. 

Starting early next year, the Chrome browser will no longer autoplay videos unless they are muted (or do not have sound) or if users have previously expressed interest in watching them.

"Expressed interest" means that Chrome will autoplay files only on websites that are saved on the users mobile home screen or, if on a desktop, if the user typically plays media on the website being viewed.

What's your thought on the end of autoplay? Good for users? Bad for advertisers? Share your thoughts with a comment now. 


Pete Prestipino
Pete Prestipino
Digital marketing executive with proven experience in all aspects of search engine optimization (SEO), performance-based advertising, consumer-generated/social media, email marketing, lead generation, Web design, usability, and analytics. - 20-year Internet marketing veteran, currently serving as the Digital Marketing Campaign Manager at Antenna Group (formerly Chicago Digital). - Former Editor-In-Chief of Website Magazine, and a regular speaker on Web technology digital marketing strategy - Author of several books on digital marketing Including Web 360: The Fundamentals of Web Success; Affiliate 360: The Fundamentals of Performance Marketing; Domains 360: The Fundamentals of Buying & Selling Domain Names, and SEO 360: The Fundamentals of Search Engine Optimization.