How To Stop Autoplay Videos in Microsoft Edge

Evan Gower June 1, 2022

Microsoft Edge is an improved version of Internet Explorer, which was the target of many jokes and memes for years, especially as new and more powerful browsers were being released. Thankfully, Microsoft became aware of it and worked hard to deliver a better browser.

Edge is far from perfect, but it is still very commonly used and very functional. One of the few frustrating things about Microsoft Edge was the lack of an option which would stop autoplay videos on websites. Thankfully, in the fall of 2018, Microsoft rolled out an update to fix it.

Windows users rejoice! This guide will show you several ways how to stop autoplay videos in Microsoft Edge.

How to Stop Autoplay Videos Globally in Microsoft Edge

First, you should know the most powerful option when it comes to stopping autoplay videos in Microsoft Edge browser. It is, of course, the option for disabling all videos from auto-playing regardless of their source.

To enable this option, follow these simple steps:

Open Microsoft Edge.
Click on the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner of your screen, directly below the “x” button. If you want to use the shortcut, simultaneously hold ALT and F buttons on your keyboard.
Click on the Settings option at the bottom of this dropdown menu.
Now navigate to the bottom of the menu and find Cookies and site permissions. Click on that.

In the Media autoplay tab, you will have a choice between a few options. The first is to allow media autoplay, which will keep it enabled. It is selected by default, but if you want to stop autoplay videos, you don’t want this enabled.

Then there is the limit option which will disable autoplay of videos when they are muted, but in case you click somewhere on the website where the video is hosted, autoplay will be automatically enabled.

The best choice for you is the Block option. It will completely disable videos from auto-playing in Microsoft Edge. Autoplay will continue only if you click on the video. Unfortunately, some websites have an aggressive design and will still have videos auto-playing despite the block.

How to Stop Autoplay Videos Individually in Microsoft Edge

In case you enjoy videos which play automatically on some websites but not on others, you can disable this option on individual websites. To do it, you should follow these instructions:

Open your Microsoft Edge.
Go to the website which has bothersome videos playing.
Next to the web address, you will see a Lock icon. Click on it.
You should see a Website permissions section, with Media autoplay settings directly under it in the form of a hyperlink. Click on it and you will be presented with a menu which will allow you the same options as the global disable: Allow, Limit, and Block.
You need to select whatever suits you best and refresh the page for it to take effect.

Instead of videos playing automatically by default, now you are in charge of it for this specific website.

How to Stop Autoplay Videos in Microsoft Edge Using Registry

In case the first two ways of stopping autoplay videos in Edge don’t work, you can resort to this last method. Be careful when using the registry for this because if you make a mistake, it can lead to some serious consequences. The best solution is probably to set up a system restore point beforehand.

Follow these steps to use the registry to stop autoplay videos in Edge:

Hold the Windows key together with the R key and enter “regedit” in the Run dialog. This will open the Registry Editor. Confirm by clicking OK.
Now you need to find this registry key: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppContainer\Storage\microsoft.microsoftedge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\MicrosoftEdge\Main
Click on the folder Main, and move your mouse to the right side of the window. Right-click anywhere within the window and choose New and then DWORD Value. Name it MediaAutoPlayOption.
Double-click this registry and change the Value data on it. The value data for the autoplay options are the following: 0 is Allow, 1 is Limit, and 2 is Block.
Now you just need to save this value with OK and shut down the Registry Editor.
Restart your PC to enable the changes.

Final Word of Advice

Have in mind that these solutions might not work in the future. At the moment of writing this article, Microsoft has actually scrapped the native autoplay options, so they don’t work right now but might be reintroduced in the future. This will inevitably cause frustration and it is understandable if you decide to switch to a more reliable browser, such as Google Chrome.

Chrome has a working option for disabling autoplay videos, and Microsoft should follow this example for its Edge browser. If you decide to stick to Edge, you can use the Registry Editor, but remember to follow the steps closely to avoid any problems.

Are you frustrated by auto-playing videos? If so, how do you block them? Is the removal of autoplay options from Microsoft Edge a strong enough reason for you to change your default browser? Share your thoughts in the comments below.