Do you ever open Twitter on your iPhone and suddenly get bombarded with videos that start playing automatically? It’s annoying — not only does it eat up your data, but it can also be distracting or even embarrassing if you’re in a quiet place.
Fortunately, Twitter gives you full control over this feature. In this guide, we’ll show you how to turn off video autoplay in the iPhone Twitter app step by step — and explain why doing so can improve your browsing experience, save battery, and help your phone run smoother.
What Is Video Autoplay on Twitter?
Video autoplay is a feature that automatically plays videos (and GIFs) as you scroll through your Twitter feed. You don’t have to tap the play button — the video just starts playing as soon as it appears on your screen.
While this feature makes browsing more dynamic, it can have some drawbacks — especially when you’re on limited data or want a quieter feed experience.
Why You Should Turn Off Video Autoplay
Before we jump into the steps, let’s quickly look at why you might want to disable video autoplay on your iPhone Twitter app:
1. Save Mobile Data
Autoplaying videos consume a surprising amount of data — especially if you scroll for long periods on mobile data. Turning off autoplay helps prevent data overages.
2. Improve Battery Life
Playing videos (even muted) drains your iPhone’s battery faster. Disabling autoplay means your device doesn’t need to load unnecessary media.
3. Reduce Distractions
Constantly playing videos can be visually overwhelming. Turning them off helps you focus more on tweets, not random motion.
4. Avoid Embarrassing Moments
Imagine checking Twitter in a meeting or public place and a loud video starts blaring — not ideal! Disabling autoplay keeps things silent.
5. Faster App Performance
Without autoplay, Twitter doesn’t have to preload video data, making scrolling smoother — especially on older iPhones.
How to Turn Off Video Autoplay in the iPhone Twitter App (Step-by-Step)
Let’s go step-by-step through the process to disable video autoplay in the iPhone version of Twitter. The steps are simple, but the exact menu labels might differ slightly depending on your app version.
Option 1: Turn Off Video Autoplay via Twitter App Settings
This is the most direct and reliable way to turn off video autoplay.
Step 1: Open the Twitter App
Launch the Twitter app on your iPhone and log in if necessary.
Step 2: Access Your Profile Menu
Tap your profile icon (top-left corner) to open the sidebar menu.
Step 3: Go to “Settings and Privacy”
Scroll down the sidebar and tap Settings and privacy.
Step 4: Select “Accessibility, display, and languages”
From the menu, tap Accessibility, display, and languages.
Step 5: Open “Data usage”
Now select Data usage — this is where Twitter stores all your media and network preferences.
Step 6: Manage Video Autoplay
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Tap Video autoplay.
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You’ll see three options:
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On cellular or Wi-Fi
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On Wi-Fi only
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Never
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Step 7: Choose “Never”
To completely stop videos from autoplaying, select Never.
Now, videos will only play when you manually tap on them.
Option 2: Manage Autoplay Settings via iPhone Cellular Preferences
If you want to restrict autoplay only when using mobile data, you can control it directly through iPhone settings.
Steps:
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Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
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Go to Mobile Data (or Cellular in older versions).
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Scroll down to find Twitter in the app list.
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Toggle off Cellular Data for Twitter.
Now, Twitter will only load content (including videos) when you’re on Wi-Fi.
Option 3: Restrict Background App Refresh for Twitter
Another smart way to save battery and data is to prevent Twitter from refreshing in the background.
Steps:
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Open Settings → General → Background App Refresh.
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Scroll down and find Twitter.
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Toggle off the switch.
This won’t directly stop autoplay, but it will stop Twitter from preloading videos and images when you’re not actively using the app.
How to Turn Off Video Autoplay on Twitter’s Mobile Website (Safari or Chrome)
If you use Twitter in your iPhone browser instead of the app, follow these steps:
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Open Safari or Chrome on your iPhone.
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Visit mobile.twitter.com.
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Tap your profile picture in the top-left corner.
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Select Settings and privacy → Data usage.
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Tap Video autoplay and select Never.
This ensures that videos don’t autoplay even when browsing Twitter through your web browser.
Does Turning Off Autoplay Affect GIFs?
Yes, but not in the way you might expect.
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GIFs will appear as still images until you tap them.
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This is actually beneficial — it prevents distracting motion and saves data.
So, when you turn off autoplay, both videos and GIFs will wait for you to tap “play” before starting.
How to Stop Autoplay on Wi-Fi Only
If you don’t want to disable autoplay completely — just when using mobile data — you can choose the middle option.
Here’s how:
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Go to Twitter app > Settings and privacy > Data usage.
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Tap Video autoplay.
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Select Wi-Fi only.
Now, videos will autoplay only when you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network, ensuring your mobile data stays untouched.
Troubleshooting: When Autoplay Won’t Turn Off
Sometimes, even after disabling autoplay, videos might still play automatically. Here’s how to fix that.
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Videos still autoplay | App cache not cleared | Force close Twitter and reopen it |
| Settings not saving | Outdated app version | Update Twitter via App Store |
| Videos autoplay on web | Browser cache issue | Clear Safari/Chrome cache |
| New update reset preferences | App updated automatically | Recheck Data usage settings |
| iOS restrictions blocking settings | Limited app permissions | Re-enable Twitter access in Settings |
How Turning Off Autoplay Saves Data and Battery
🔋 Battery Life:
Autoplaying videos use your iPhone’s CPU and GPU continuously, leading to faster battery drain. Turning them off minimizes that load.
📶 Data Usage:
Videos can consume up to 150–300 MB per 10 minutes of continuous feed scrolling. With autoplay off, you only load what you tap to watch.
🌡️ Performance:
Fewer videos loading means less memory use, fewer lags, and smoother scrolling — especially on older iPhone models like iPhone 7 or 8.
How to Manage Video Autoplay on Other Platforms (Desktop or Android)
If you use Twitter on multiple devices, it’s good to turn off autoplay everywhere for consistency.
On Desktop (Web Browser)
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Visit twitter.com.
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Click More → Settings and privacy → Accessibility, display, and languages.
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Choose Data usage → Autoplay → Never.
On Android App
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Tap your profile icon.
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Select Settings and privacy → Data usage → Video autoplay.
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Choose Never.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does turning off autoplay stop videos in DMs too?
No. Videos in direct messages will still play when tapped, but they won’t start automatically.
2. Will I still see video previews after disabling autoplay?
Yes, you’ll still see video thumbnails — they just won’t play until you tap them.
3. Does this setting sync across devices?
If you log in on another device (like desktop or Android), you’ll need to disable autoplay separately.
4. Why does Twitter turn autoplay back on after updates?
Sometimes, major Twitter updates reset preferences. Always double-check your Data usage settings after updates.
5. Can I disable autoplay for specific accounts or types of videos?
No — Twitter doesn’t allow per-account autoplay control. The setting applies globally to all videos.
Conclusion
Turning off video autoplay in the iPhone Twitter app is a small change that can make a big difference. You’ll save mobile data, preserve battery life, and regain control over your browsing experience — no more surprise sounds or unwanted distractions.
Whether you want to completely disable autoplay or limit it to Wi-Fi only, the Twitter app gives you flexible options to match your preferences.
So, take a minute today to adjust your settings — your battery, data plan, and peace of mind will thank you!
Key Takeaways
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✅ Go to Twitter → Settings and privacy → Data usage → Video autoplay.
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✅ Select Never to disable video autoplay completely.
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✅ Use Wi-Fi only if you want to limit data use.
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✅ Update your app if settings don’t save properly.
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✅ Turning off autoplay reduces data, battery use, and distractions.
In short: Knowing how to turn off video autoplay in the iPhone Twitter app helps you browse smarter, quieter, and more efficiently. Once you tweak this one setting, your Twitter experience becomes instantly better — no interruptions, no wasted data, and no surprises.
