Autoplay videos can ruin your browsing experience, especially on news sites where you're there to read, not watch intrusive clips that hijack your bandwidth and speakers.
These videos slow page loads and waste data. Fortunately, Firefox provides built-in tools to stop them—no extensions required. This feature, introduced in Firefox 66, blocks audible videos by default once enabled. We'll also cover blocking muted ones and whitelisting sites.
Note: Ensure Firefox is updated. Go to Menu > Help > About Firefox to check and install updates automatically.
Firefox blocks unmuted autoplay videos after enabling the setting. Here's how:
Step 1: Click the Firefox menu > Settings (or Options on older versions).
Step 2: Select Privacy & Security > Permissions > Check 'Block Audio and Video' under Autoplay.
Done! Test on sites like CNN—videos now pause until you click play. Manually resume anytime.
For video-heavy sites like YouTube, allow autoplay to avoid frustration.
When blocked, click the autoplay icon in the address bar > Autoplay > Allow Audio and Video.
Or add exceptions: Settings > Privacy & Security > Autoplay > Exceptions > Enter URLs.
Muted videos still autoplay? Use about:config for full control—no extensions needed.
Step 1: Type about:config in a new tab > Accept the risk.
Step 2: Search media.autoplay.allow-muted.
Step 3: Double-click to toggle from true to false. Close tab—changes saved.
All videos, muted or not, are now blocked. Whitelist as needed.
Autoplay prioritizes ads over users. Publishers should know better. Thanks to Mozilla for native controls reclaiming your browsing peace.
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Related: Protect Firefox from crypto-mining extensions with our security guide.
