The previously announced and much-anticipated Google Chrome autoplay video blocker won’t debut with the next version, but is slated to arrive thereafter…
Back in March, Google announced it would add an autoplay video blocker to Chrome version 66. Then, in May, it debuted the feature but it caused an unforeseen problem. Consequently, the search engine issued a temporary fix.
Google Chrome Autoplay Video Blocker Delayed Again
When introduced, the Google Chrome autoplay video blocker broke web-based games and other experiences. So, Google put off its deployment until the arrival of Chrome 70. Now, it’s extending that launch to version 71.
The Google Chrome autoplay video blocker doesn’t apply to all media and/or pages. Instead, it’s triggered by one of the following cases:
- Autoplay content runs muted or does not contain audio.
- Users previously interacted with the site during a browsing session.
- When a user adds the site to a mobile home screen.
- If a user frequently plays media on a desktop site.
Google now tells The Verge, it’s delaying deployment of the Chrome autoplay video blocker to version 71:
“For the Web Audio API, the autoplay policy will launch in M71. This affects web games, some WebRTC applications, and other web pages using audio features. Developers will need to update their code to take advantage of the policy.”