Tired of sudden loud videos, endless playlist loops, and distracting Shorts?
This extension gives you complete control over YouTube playback — before it ever starts. Instead of letting videos blast unexpectedly the moment a page loads, it intercepts autoplay and stops them silently, based on your rules.
No more jumping at a surprise ad, no more falling into a three-hour playlist you never chose, and no more Shorts pulling you away from what you were actually doing.
What It Does
The extension intercepts autoplay across YouTube videos, embedded players, playlists, and Shorts. You decide what happens when a video tries to start: fully stop the player (which also saves bandwidth) or simply pause it so you can hit play when you’re ready.
Smart focus controls take it further — video can pause automatically when you switch tabs and resume when you come back, so nothing plays to an empty room.
Key Features
- Block autoplay everywhere — standard videos, Shorts, mobile layout, and embedded players.
- Stop playlist and radio autoplay — no more endless mixes rolling on without you.
- One-click channel whitelist — let your favorite creators autoplay while everything else stays blocked.
- Focus mode — pause on tab unfocus, resume on tab focus.
- Stop-and-save mode — halts playback and prevents buffering to reduce data usage.
- Instant toolbar toggle — flip it on or off from the popup without opening settings.
- Privacy-first — no data collected, no external servers, no account required.
Who Should Use It
- Students, remote workers, and anyone practicing deep work who can’t afford the distraction.
- Users on limited data plans who want to stop silent background buffering eating their allowance.
- Parents who want calmer, quieter browsing.
- Anyone who finds sudden autoplay intrusive and wants a cleaner, distraction-free video experience.
How It Works
A lightweight content script runs on every YouTube tab. It listens to the native YouTube player lifecycle and uses the page’s own player API to pause or stop videos the moment they attempt to start — so playback is caught at the source rather than after the sound has already hit you.
Your preferences are stored locally and applied instantly across all YouTube tabs. No data is collected, no external servers are contacted, and no account is required.
Permissions
- Storage — saves your settings, whitelist, and toggle state locally so they persist across browser sessions.
- YouTube host access — required to inject the content script that intercepts the YouTube player and controls autoplay behavior. No other websites are accessed.
Why Blocking YouTube Autoplay Matters
YouTube is built to keep you watching. Autoplay is the default on videos, playlists queue the next thing before you’ve finished the first, and Shorts loop endlessly by design. That’s great for watch time and terrible for focus, for your data plan, and for anyone who just wanted to read the comments in peace. Turning autoplay off inside YouTube’s own settings only goes so far — it doesn’t cover embeds, it doesn’t stop playlists, and it resets more often than it should. This extension enforces your choice consistently, everywhere YouTube plays.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this extension do? It blocks YouTube autoplay across videos, Shorts, playlists, and embedded players, stopping or pausing playback the moment a video tries to start — based on the rules you set.
Does it block autoplay on Shorts? Yes. It intercepts autoplay on Shorts as well as standard videos, the mobile layout, and embedded players on other sites.
Can I still let some channels autoplay? Yes. A one-click channel whitelist lets your favorite creators autoplay normally while autoplay stays blocked everywhere else.
What’s the difference between stop and pause? Pause simply holds the video at the start so you can press play. Stop-and-save halts playback and prevents buffering entirely, which reduces data usage — useful on limited plans.
Does it stop playlists and radio mixes from rolling on? Yes. It stops autoplay inside playlists and radio mixes, so the next video won’t start without you choosing it.
What is focus mode? Focus mode pauses video when you switch away from the tab and resumes when you come back, so nothing keeps playing while you’re not watching.
Why does it need YouTube access permission? It needs YouTube host access to inject the content script that intercepts the player and controls autoplay. No other websites are accessed.
Does it collect my data? No. Nothing is collected, no external servers are contacted, and no account is needed. Your settings and whitelist are stored locally on your device.
Install it and take back control of YouTube — nothing plays until you say so.