YouTube’s infernal autoplay bug may actually be a feature in testing (Update: Confirmed)

Robert Triggs / Android Authority TL;DR Users are reporting that videos start automatically playing as soon as they open the YouTube app. The videos autoplay even if you have autoplay disabled in the settings. A YouTube support representative reportedly says this is an experimental feature. Update: April 1, 2025 (9:19 AM ET): A Google spokesperson has confirmed to Android Authority that the issue mentioned below is indeed an ongoing experiment meant to help with content discovery. Original article: March 31, 2025 (2:22 PM ET): When you open the YouTube app, you don’t normally expect to be greeted by a running video. However, a growing number of YouTube users claim this has started happening to them. While many thought this may be a bug, it appears it may actually be a feature in testing. YouTube has a feature that automatically plays videos. If you don’t want videos to autoplay, there’s a setting that allows you to turn this feature on or off. Despite having the feature disabled, ... Read full article.