How to Stop Video Previews Autoplay for Native Apple Apps

IPhones are much less flexible in terms of user interface and settings. There are so many things that you do not like but can not do anything. One of these features is the auto preview video preview. Users are asking for a way to stop it for some time. It seems that Apple has been listening because there is now a way to stop automatic playback of video previews.

The feature, which is actually a parameter, was released with the launch of iOS 13. You can now disable automatic playback of video previews, but it will only work in native Apple apps. Third-party applications will include a setting for the respective application, if applicable.

Let's start.

1. What are video previews?

Video previews are a brief overview of a duration that you can watch before playing the video, which typically lasts about 3 seconds. This will give you an idea of ​​what the video is without reading it.

A neat concept. It looks like a GIF image with images taken from the beginning to the end of the video. Do not confuse previews with a GIF image, though. It was just a way for you to imagine.

Application developers use video previews to engage users and give them a better idea of ​​what to expect from the video, and therefore from the application itself. If someone sends you a video message in iMessage, iOS will automatically play the video preview for you. This helps you know what the video holds before you read it – a fun way to interact with the video without first reading it.

2. Why should you disable it?

For starters, it's annoying. I do not like video previews because they annoy. Even Star Wars Director Rian Johnson is distracted by automatic reading. Many users are fed up with video previews that automatically play on Apple apps, Netflix, YouTube, and other streaming and social apps. Apple TV will be just the latest in a long list of applications seeking to force users.

There are also other reasons. Video previews can consume bandwidth, which can be a problem if you're using mobile data. The data is valuable and expensive, especially when traveling abroad.

Many people have motion sickness or are sensitive to movement. The situation gets worse when they face sudden, unwanted and unplanned movements on the screen.

Something similar happened in 2013 with the launch of iOS 7. Apple introduced a new feature called Parallax. This gave the impression that different layers of the home screen were moving when you tilt the phone. Many people were seasick and were looking for a way to disable it.

The same is also true with video previews. When they play automatically without your permission, it can annoy you.

3. How to disable automatic playback of video previews

Users have been complaining for months about the automatic playback of video previews. You can find discussions regarding this problem on Reddit, Quora and other forums. Finally, iOS 13 has introduced a button that will disable automatic playback of video previews, but only in native Apple apps such as App Store and iMessage.

Open Settings and press Accessibility and then Motion.

There are two options here. One is the auto-play video preview, which will disable video previews in all Apple applications. Another option to note here is the AutoPlay message effect.

This option disables GIFs, videos, and other animations that your friends send to you via iMessage. Have you ever opened a message to see hearts or confetti blowing all over the screen? You do not like what you see or did it remind you of the fishing trip? You can avoid this feeling by disabling the feature here.

I am happy that the options are easily accessible.

What about third-party apps? Apple has decided to integrate this feature into its API. This means that application developers can choose to disable automatic playback preview or even allow users to control it themselves whenever they want. And that's the question.

It turns out that video previews are a great way to engage viewers. It's so unbearable that it's almost impossible to ignore. The streaming wars are racing with the launch of Apple TV + and Disney +, there is little hope that video previews will go anywhere.

Opt-Out instead of Opt-In

Autoplaying video previews is a classic example of the exclusion strategy instead of giving users the choice to choose an option to enable them. Although some users may enjoy these features because they may be attractive, not everyone is a fan of automatically previewed video previews. They are a great way to search for new content and interact with videos, but at a cost. You are the judge. After all, it's your life and your device.

Then: Do you want to prevent automatic loading of images and videos in Chrome and Firefox? Check out the next post below to find out how.