How to Turn Off Autoplay on X (Twitter) on iPhone, Android and Web

That last part is why so many people think the setting doesn't work. X's Help Center says autoplay is set independently on x.com and in the app. You can have videos autoplay on your iPhone and stay still on the web, or the other way round. Turn it off once and it only stops on the device you changed it on.

Autoplay settings on each device

Where you use X	Path	Options X gives you
X app for iPhone	Settings and privacy, Accessibility, display, and languages, Data usage, Video autoplay	On cellular or Wi-Fi, Only on Wi-Fi, Never
X app for Android	Settings and privacy, Accessibility, display, and languages, Data usage, Video autoplay	Mobile data & Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi only, Never
x.com in a browser	More, Settings and privacy, Accessibility, display, and languages, Data usage, Autoplay	On cellular or Wi-Fi, Never

Look at the last column. The apps offer a middle setting that only plays videos on Wi-Fi. The web version gives you on or off. If you only want to stop videos eating your mobile data, the Wi-Fi option in the app is the better choice than switching autoplay off completely.

How to turn off autoplay on X for iPhone

1. Open the X app and go to Settings and privacy.
2. Under Accessibility, display, and languages, tap Data usage.
3. Tap Video autoplay.
4. Choose Never to stop autoplay, or Only on Wi-Fi to save mobile data.

How to turn off autoplay on X for Android

1. Open the X app and go to Settings and privacy.
2. Under Accessibility, display, and languages, tap Data usage.
3. Tap Video autoplay.
4. Choose Never, or Wi-Fi only if you just want to protect your data plan.

The wording is slightly different on Android. Where iPhone says "On cellular or Wi-Fi", Android says "Mobile data & Wi-Fi". They do the same job.

How to turn off autoplay on x.com

1. From the main menu, click More.
2. Select Settings and privacy.
3. Under Accessibility, display, and languages, click Data usage.
4. Click Autoplay and choose Never.

X also says you can reach the autoplay setting from the Accessibility section of Settings and privacy, so if you go looking there first, you're in the right area.

Where autoplay stops once you change it

According to X's Help Center, the setting stops videos autoplaying in three places:

• Your timeline.
• Moments.
• The Explore tab.

Videos still play when you tap them. Turning off autoplay doesn't block video, it just puts you in charge of when it starts.

Why turn autoplay off at all?

There are three good reasons, and only one of them is about data.

• Mobile data. Videos that play as you scroll use data whether you watch them or not. The Wi-Fi only setting fixes that without losing autoplay at home.
• Focus. Moving video pulls your eye. If you use X for work, a still timeline is easier to read and easier to put down.
• Comfort. Some people find constant motion tiring or distracting. That's why X groups this setting with its accessibility options.

If videos are playing on their own when you don't expect them to, or stopping when you don't want them to, the setting may not be the issue. My guides to X videos not playing on iPhone and X videos with no sound cover the usual fixes.

Captions when autoplay is off

If you watch with the sound off, captions matter more than autoplay. X says captions show automatically on iPhone and Android when videos play in your timeline, and that you can turn on captions in your device's own accessibility settings: Closed Captions on iOS, Captions on Android. On the web, turn the sound off and use the CC slider on a video. Not every video has captions, though.

If clips still stall after that, see fixing slow videos on X.

A note for anyone posting video on X

If you post videos for your business, remember that some of your audience has autoplay off. They'll only see your thumbnail and your post text until they choose to press play. So the words above the video have to earn the tap. Say what the viewer gets in the first line, not "watch this". X's Help Center gives the upload limits clearly:

Your plan	Longest video you can upload	Maximum file size
No subscription	140 seconds	512MB
X Premium, or Plus, Premium, Super or Ultra on The X Subscription	Under 4 hours (1080p up to 2 hours, 720p from 2 to 4 hours)	16GB

Short clips with a strong first frame suit people scrolling with autoplay off. If you're planning longer videos, check my guide to X video upload limits, because the length you're allowed depends on your plan.

My advice

Set it per device, not once. On your phone, choose Wi-Fi only if your data plan is tight and Never if you want a calm feed. On your laptop, choose Never if you use X while you work. It takes a minute in each place, and then X stops deciding what grabs your attention for you.

Another setting worth checking is covered in turning off read receipts on X.

Frequently asked questions

Why does X still autoplay videos after I turned it off?

X sets autoplay separately on x.com and in the app. If you turned it off on your phone, videos can still autoplay on the web until you change the setting there too.

Where is the autoplay setting on X?

Go to Settings and privacy, then Accessibility, display, and languages, then Data usage, and tap Video autoplay (app) or Autoplay (web).

Can I make X videos autoplay only on Wi-Fi?

Yes, in the app. iPhone offers Only on Wi-Fi and Android offers Wi-Fi only. On x.com the choices are On cellular or Wi-Fi, or Never.

Does turning off autoplay stop videos everywhere on X?

X says the setting stops autoplay in your timeline, Moments and the Explore tab. You can still play any video by tapping it.

How do I see captions on X videos?

Turn on captions in your device's accessibility settings, called Closed Captions on iOS and Captions on Android. On the web, turn the sound off and use the CC slider. Not every video has captions.