Google Chrome has started automatically blocking autoplay videos based on user preferences, a move that looks to improve how the browser handles the sometimes annoying and unwanted content.
The latest Google Chrome update, which took the browser to version 66, implemented means to stop autoplay videos. There were some exceptions, though, with autoplay videos allowed if they have no audio or are muted by default.
Google Chrome Autoplay Video Blocker Online
In an official Google blog post, Google Chrome product manager and "media muter" John Pallett revealed that "a significant number" of autoplay videos are muted, paused, or have their tab closed within just six seconds from users who do not want to watch them. This statistic is what pushed Google to reveal a new policy for blocking unwanted autoplay videos on the desktop version of Google Chrome.
Under the new policy, Chrome will allow or block autoplay videos depending on the preferences of users. The browser will remember the websites where users immediately stop autoplay videos and will automatically block them next time. For websites where users allow the autoplay videos, Chrome will also remember and will not stop them from playing.
Meanwhile, for new Chrome users who do not yet have a browsing history, the browser will allow autoplay videos on over 1,000 popular websites where users usually allow the videos to play with sound. However, as the users browse online, Chrome tweaks how it stops autoplay videos depending on their activities.
According to Pallett, while Chrome is still learning, users may have to click on autoplay videos they want to watch every once in a while. However, the new policy will block about half of unwanted autoplay videos, which will result in less instances of sudden noise when arriving at a new website.
It should be noted, however, that since Google Chrome 64, the browser also carries an option to disable audio on a per-site basis. All users have to do is to right click on the tab of the website and select the "mute site" option.
Google Chrome News
The autoplay video policy is not the only new thing about Google Chrome, though. A recent report revealed that Google is testing a new user interface for the browser that incorporates its Material Design language.
Google Chrome also recently added support for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, but it remains to be seen whether the browser will supplant the device's default Carmel browser as the preferred option among users.
