How to Turn Off YouTube Autoplay Permanently (2026)

YouTube's native autoplay toggle resets to on periodically — this is intentional, not a bug. The permanent fix is Unhook: install the extension, toggle off Autoplay, and it overrides YouTube's setting on every page load. The native toggle is a temporary fix; Unhook is a permanent one. Setup takes under 3 minutes.

Last verified: May 26, 2026 · Reading time: 4 min · Time to set up: 3 minutes

TL;DR

• YouTube’s native autoplay toggle resets itself — this is by design.
• Permanent fix: Unhook (free) — enforces autoplay-off on every YouTube page load.
• Temporary fix: The native toggle in the video player — works until YouTube resets it.
• Unhook also lets you remove the home feed, Shorts, and sidebar in the same settings panel.

---

Why YouTube’s own toggle doesn’t stick

YouTube’s autoplay setting sits in your account preferences. YouTube periodically resets certain preferences to their “default” state — which happens to be autoplay on — as part of routine server-side updates or A/B tests.

This isn’t a bug. Autoplay increases watch time. When a video ends and the next one starts automatically, a meaningful fraction of viewers watch it. YouTube’s business model runs on watch time; autoplay contributes to watch time; resetting autoplay to on serves that interest.

The native toggle gives you control in the short term. It does not prevent YouTube from resetting it.

---

The permanent fix: Unhook

Unhook is a browser extension that runs on every YouTube page load and enforces your preferred configuration. When autoplay is toggled off in Unhook:

1. Unhook loads with the YouTube page.
2. It sets the autoplay state to off before you interact with any video.
3. Even if YouTube’s account preference says autoplay is on, Unhook overrides it at the browser level.
4. The next time YouTube resets your preference, Unhook overrides it again automatically.

The result: autoplay stays off permanently, regardless of what YouTube does to your account settings.

Install Unhook:

• Chrome Web Store
• Firefox Add-ons

Configure autoplay:

1. Click the Unhook icon.
2. Toggle off Autoplay.
3. Done. Watch a video to the end and confirm nothing autoplays.

---

While you have Unhook open

Autoplay is one of five YouTube surfaces Unhook can remove. If you’re configuring Unhook anyway, consider toggling off:

• Home feed — removes the algorithmic recommendation grid from the YouTube homepage.
• Shorts — removes the Shorts shelf and Shorts tab.
• Sidebar — removes the “Up next” recommendation queue while watching.
• End screens — removes the clickable video overlays in the last 20 seconds.

Any combination is valid — Unhook’s toggles are independent. See the full YouTube feed control guide for a complete setup.

---

Does this work on YouTube mobile?

Unhook is a browser extension and only works in browsers that support extensions:

• Android: Kiwi Browser (install Unhook inside Kiwi, then use YouTube through Kiwi).
• iOS: Orion Browser (same approach).

The native YouTube app on iOS and Android doesn’t support extensions. The autoplay toggle in the native app also resets periodically for the same reasons — and there’s no third-party fix for it unless you use an alternative client.

Android alternative: NewPipe — an open-source YouTube client that doesn’t have autoplay in the traditional sense. You browse and play intentionally; there’s no recommendation queue or autoplay function.