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Block video popups

  • 4 replies
  • 4 have this problem
  • 127 views
  • Last reply by firelight

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Many sites have videos playing when I open the page. If I just ignore the video and scroll down without explicitly stopping the video, I get a popup window playing the video. Apparently the popup blocker doesn't consider this to be a popup. Is there any way to kill this annoying behavior?

Many sites have videos playing when I open the page. If I just ignore the video and scroll down without explicitly stopping the video, I get a popup window playing the video. Apparently the popup blocker doesn't consider this to be a popup. Is there any way to kill this annoying behavior?

Chosen solution

Change autoplay in permissions setting to block audio and video. These are not "popups", firefox pop out video player.

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Chosen Solution

Change autoplay in permissions setting to block audio and video. These are not "popups", firefox pop out video player.

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That works. Thank you.

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This does not work for me. Videos follow me down the page in the sidebar. Often blocking some of the text. Are there about:config settings I can use? Addons? Anything?

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You can look at these prefs on the the about:config page to see what settings work for you to block autoplay.

  • media.autoplay.default = 5 [0:allow;1:blockAudible;2:Prompt;5:blockAll]
  • media.autoplay.blocking_policy = 2
  • media.autoplay.allow-extension-background-pages = false
  • media.autoplay.block-event.enabled = true

You can open the about:config page via the location/address bar. You can accept the warning and click "I accept the risk!" to continue.


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Thanks cor-el. It works better, especially in stopping autoplay on pages.

But popup videos still follow me down the sidebar on some pages. For example; on space.com pages such as this one: https://www.space.com/antarctic-ice-shelf-collapse-as-earth-warms

Also, can I add exceptions to the autoplay settings in Firefox options: Tools menu > options > Privacy and security > Permissions > Autoplay > Block audio and video. I would like to add an exception for Youtube playlists. To allow autoplay on them.

There is a box there. I am not sure what the box there does. I can't enter anything into it.

I am confused about popup videos mentioned lately every time Firefox updates. That apparently is a feature. But I saw no mention or link about how to turn them on or off.