How to Stop Facebook Ads from Automatically Playing

Facebook ads that automatically play can be annoying — especially when you’re scrolling through your feed quietly and suddenly a loud video starts blaring. Not only can auto-play ads be disruptive, but they also consume more data, which can be a problem if you’re on a limited plan. The good news is you can easily change your settings to stop Facebook ads (and other videos) from playing automatically.

1. Using the Facebook App (iOS and Android)

If you mostly use Facebook on your phone, follow these steps:

• Open the Facebook app.

• Tap the three horizontal lines (menu) at the bottom right (iOS) or top right (Android).

• Scroll down and tap Settings & Privacy, then tap Settings.

• Scroll to the Media section and tap Media.

• Under the Autoplay section, choose Never Autoplay Videos.

That’s it! Videos and ads will no longer play automatically when you scroll through Facebook.

2. Using Facebook on a Web Browser (Desktop)

Prefer to change settings from your computer? Here’s how:

• Go to Facebook.com and log in.

• Click your profile picture or the menu icon in the top right.

• Click Settings & Privacy, then Settings.

• From the left sidebar, select Videos.

• Next to Auto-Play Videos, choose Off from the drop-down menu.

Now Facebook will stop videos (including ads) from automatically playing when you browse on your computer.

3. Bonus Tip: Save Your Mobile Data

If you don’t want to turn off auto-play completely, Facebook also gives you the option to only auto-play videos when you’re connected to Wi-Fi. This is helpful if you’re trying to save mobile data but still want a full browsing experience when on a home or public network.

To set this:

• Follow the same steps above for the Facebook app.

• In the Media settings, choose Autoplay Videos on Wi-Fi Only.

Why Stop Auto-Playing Facebook Ads?

• Avoid distractions: Stay focused without unwanted videos popping up.

• Save data: Videos eat up a lot of data very quickly.

• Extend battery life: Less video streaming = longer phone battery life.

• Control your browsing experience: You decide what to watch and when.