SkipSeenHow to stop YouTube autoplay from playing livestreams
Updated October 10, 2026 · By Keenan Kaufman
Short answer: YouTube has no setting that keeps live streams out of autoplay. You can turn autoplay off entirely, or tell YouTube you're not interested in a stream's channel, but neither stops the next random stream. On desktop Chrome or Firefox, the free SkipSeen extension skips any stream autoplay lands on while it's live or waiting to start, and lets everything else keep playing.
Why autoplay picks livestreams
YouTube says its system “uses the video you're currently watching as the main signal when suggesting a video to play next” (YouTube Help). Live streams sit in the same pool of recommendations as ordinary videos, so if a channel or topic you're watching also streams, its broadcast can be the next thing autoplay chooses.
That's why it feels random: you finish a ten-minute video and land in the middle of a six-hour stream, or on a countdown screen for one that hasn't started yet. YouTube hasn't published how often it picks live content for autoplay or why, so we won't guess at a formula.
What YouTube's own settings can do
1. Turn autoplay off
On a computer, click the Autoplay switch at the bottom of the player. In the mobile app, tap your profile picture → Settings → Autoplay. On TV, go to Settings → Autoplay (source). The catch: it stops every next video, not just streams. The full guide to turning off autoplay covers each device.
2. “Not interested” or “Don't recommend channel”
From the More menu next to a video on Home or Watch Next, you can mark it Not interested or choose Don't recommend channel (source). The catch: it works one stream or one channel at a time, after the stream has already appeared, and blocking a channel also hides its regular videos.
3. Find streams on purpose instead
If you do like live content, YouTube has a dedicated Live tab for current and upcoming streams, and a Notify me button for ones you want (source). That doesn't change what autoplay picks, but it means skipping streams in autoplay doesn't cost you the ones you care about.
At a glance
| Option | Keeps autoplay | Stops streams automatically | Desktop / mobile / TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoplay switch off | No | Yes, by stopping everything | All three |
| Not interested | Yes | No, one stream at a time | Documented for desktop and TV |
| Don't recommend channel | Yes | No, and blocks the channel's videos too | All three |
| SkipSeen extension | Yes | Yes | Desktop only |
Skipping livestreams automatically
SkipSeen is a free extension for desktop Chrome and Firefox. When autoplay moves on by itself to a stream that's live or waiting to start, SkipSeen presses Next and autoplay carries on to the following video. It's on by default.
- Replays still play. Once a stream has ended, its recording counts as an ordinary video.
- Streams you click still play. SkipSeen only acts on autoplay's picks, never on a video you chose.
- Channels you trust can stream. Add a channel to the never-skip list and its streams play through autoplay too.
- You can switch it off. Turn off Livestreams in the settings to let streams play again.
The same extension also skips videos you've already watched, and can optionally skip videos longer than a limit you set. The how it works page has the exact rules. On the YouTube mobile and TV apps, extensions can't run, so the built-in settings above are the only options there.
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