YouTube can start showing a moving preview whenever you hover over a video thumbnail. That behavior is controlled by the Video previews setting on YouTube.com. Turn it off, and thumbnails in your YouTube feed and search results will stay still until you choose a video to play.
This setting applies to YouTube in a computer browser. It is useful if preview clips are distracting, you want a quieter browsing experience, or you simply do not want videos moving while you scan through recommendations.
Video Tutorial
Turn off video previews on YouTube.com
You can change this setting directly from your YouTube account settings. You do not need to open an individual video or change your browser settings.
- Open YouTube.com in your web browser.
- Select your profile icon in the top-right corner of the page.
- Select Settings.
- In the left sidebar, select Playback and performance.
- Scroll down until you find Video previews.
- Turn the Video previews toggle off.
Once the toggle is off, return to the YouTube home page or perform a search. Hover over a video thumbnail to check the result. The preview should no longer start playing automatically.
What this YouTube setting changes
With Video previews enabled, YouTube plays a short visual preview when your pointer rests on a thumbnail. You may notice this on the Home feed, in search results, and in other areas where YouTube displays video thumbnails.
Turning off Video previews stops that thumbnail behavior. The thumbnail remains static while you browse, so you can read titles and look through videos without clips starting as you move your mouse across the page.
This can make YouTube easier to browse when several previews would otherwise start one after another. It also helps if you prefer less on-screen movement while looking for a particular video.
Video previews and autoplay are not always the same thing
YouTube uses similar language for a few different playback behaviors, so it helps to know what you are changing. The Video previews setting controls previews that appear over thumbnails in the feed or search results.
It does not refer to starting another full video after the video you are currently watching ends. If your concern is a new video beginning after your current one finishes, that is a separate autoplay behavior. The steps in this guide specifically disable the preview that appears when you hover over a thumbnail on YouTube.com.
A quick way to confirm you changed the right option is to go back to the Home feed. Move your pointer over a few recommended videos. If the images remain still, Video previews are disabled.
If video previews still play
First, make sure you changed the setting while signed in to the YouTube account you use for browsing. The option is accessed from the profile menu, so check that the profile icon belongs to the correct account before reopening Settings.
Then return to Playback and performance and verify that the Video previews toggle is off. If it is already off, refresh the YouTube page and test another thumbnail. Checking from the Home page and from a search results page can help you confirm that the setting is taking effect where you normally browse.
Also keep the scope of this setting in mind. These instructions are for YouTube.com in a browser. The YouTube app on an iPhone or Android phone uses its own app settings, so do not expect the browser steps to change preview behavior inside the mobile app.
Turn video previews back on later
If you decide you want thumbnail previews again, return to the same location: select your profile icon, open Settings, choose Playback and performance, and turn Video previews back on.
You can switch the setting whenever your preferences change. Leaving it off gives you a calmer, static YouTube feed. Turning it on restores the hover previews without affecting which videos appear in your recommendations or search results.
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