LinkedIn is a popular social media platform used primarily for professional networking and career development. With over 740 million members worldwide, LinkedIn allows users to connect with professionals in their industry, find jobs, promote their businesses, and share content.
One of the ways LinkedIn members share content is by posting YouTube videos. YouTube is the largest video hosting platform, with over 2 billion monthly active users. Many professionals and companies use YouTube to host video content related to their industry. Videos can then be embedded and shared on other platforms like LinkedIn.
However, there is some confusion around whether embedded YouTube videos play automatically when shared on LinkedIn. Some users report that videos start playing immediately when scrolling through their feed. Others say embedded videos do not play until clicked.
The answer comes down to the default settings and user preferences within LinkedIn. By understanding how video autoplay works on LinkedIn, users can adjust their settings accordingly to enable or disable autoplay.
Do YouTube Videos Play Automatically by Default on LinkedIn?
The short answer is no, YouTube videos shared on LinkedIn do not play automatically by default.
When a YouTube video is embedded in a LinkedIn post, the video player will display a preview image with a play button overlay. The video will not start playing until the user clicks the play button to initiate playback.
LinkedIn’s default autoplay setting for videos is “off.” This means embedded YouTube videos are set not to play automatically when scrolling through the feed. Users must actively click to play the video.
This default autoplay setting applies across LinkedIn on both desktop and mobile apps. Unless a user has actively changed their autoplay preferences, YouTube videos will not start playing automatically as they scroll on any device.
LinkedIn’s default autoplay setting aligns with best practices to prevent videos from playing unexpectedly. Autoplay can provide a poor user experience by playing audio, using bandwidth, or distracting from other content. Many users prefer to manually initiate videos rather than having them start automatically while browsing.
So in summary, the LinkedIn platform’s default setting does not autoplay YouTube videos automatically regardless of how they are shared within posts or pages. Users must opt into autoplay through their account settings if they want embedded YouTube videos to play automatically as they scroll through their LinkedIn feed.
How to Change YouTube Autoplay Settings on LinkedIn
While YouTube videos do not play automatically by default, LinkedIn does provide users with the option to enable video autoplay.
Here are the steps to change your LinkedIn settings to allow YouTube videos to play automatically:
On Desktop:
- Click on the “Me” icon in the top nav bar and select “Settings & Privacy”
- Choose “Privacy” from the menu on the left side of the page
- Under “How others see your LinkedIn activity,” toggle “Autoplay video” to the “On” position
- Click “Save changes” to update your autoplay preference
On Mobile:
- Tap your profile icon in the top right corner
- Choose “Settings”
- Select “Autoplay” under “Additional preferences”
- Toggle the switch next to “Autoplay Video” to the on position
Once you have enabled autoplay, YouTube videos shared on LinkedIn will begin playing automatically as you scroll through feeds and posts.
Keep in mind this setting will apply globally to playing videos from any source automatically, not just YouTube. Autoplay for LinkedIn native videos hosted directly on the platform can be configured separately in your settings.
You can reverse these steps at any time to disable autoplay again if you prefer YouTube videos only play when initiated manually. The default setting remains “off” unless users actively change it.
Considerations for Enabling YouTube Autoplay on LinkedIn
While the autoplay option provides more convenience for video viewership, there are a few considerations to keep in mind:
- Autoplay videos can use more data – Videos that play automatically will consume more data on mobile networks or WiFi.
- Unexpected audio – Videos may start playing audio automatically, which can be disruptive.
- Distraction from other content – Autoplay videos may distract from focused reading of articles or posts.
- Accidental plays – Videos may start playing accidentally as you quickly scroll through content.
Based on these factors, many users may prefer keeping autoplay disabled and choosing when videos play manually. However, autoplay can be useful for some purposes like:
- Hands-free viewing while multi-tasking
- Quickly skimming videos shared in your network
- Convenient playback as part of a video playlist or series
Evaluate whether the benefits of hands-free viewing outweigh potential drawbacks before enabling autoplay. Consider the viewing context and your data limits in mobile settings.
You can also fine-tune autoplay preferences for WiFi only, mute audio by default, or only autoplay certain sources to find the right balance for your needs. Experiment with your settings to optimize the video experience on LinkedIn.
Troubleshooting YouTube Autoplay on LinkedIn
If you have enabled autoplay but YouTube videos still are not playing automatically on LinkedIn, here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Confirm autoplay setting is on – Double check your autoplay preference is enabled in your account settings on both desktop and mobile.
- Check for video errors – Sometimes autoplay failures are due to errors with the video source or embed code.
- Refresh feed – Try refreshing your LinkedIn feed to reload the post and embedded video.
- Reinstall app – On mobile, uninstalling and reinstalling the LinkedIn app can resolve inconsistent autoplay.
- Allow autoplay access – Ensure your browser or LinkedIn app has permission to enable autoplay. This is often a setting that must be actively managed.
- Clear cookies/cache – Clearing your browser cookies and cache can fix issues with autoplay functionality.
- Check LinkedIn status – Verify LinkedIn services are not experiencing an outage disrupting autoplay.
Persistent autoplay issues may require contacting LinkedIn customer support for additional troubleshooting. But in most cases, autoplay can be fixed by double checking your settings, reloading the page, or reinstalling the mobile app.
Best Practices for Sharing YouTube Videos on LinkedIn
When sharing YouTube videos on LinkedIn, keep these best practices in mind:
- Caption your videos – Add captions and transcripts to improve accessibility and viewability when autoplay is off.
- Mobile optimize content – Review how videos display on mobile and adjust aspect ratios to fit different screens.
- Preview formatting – Check how the embedded video appears in LinkedIn posts and pages to ensure proper formatting.
- Provide context – Use text surrounding the video to provide context and encourage clicks to initiate playback.
- Monitor analytics – Use YouTube and LinkedIn analytics tools to see how your videos are performing.
- Call-to-action – Include relevant calls-to-action to drive conversions from video viewership on LinkedIn.
Optimizing video content shared on LinkedIn can lead to higher view rates, engagement, and conversion whether autoplay is enabled or not. Prioritizing the viewer experience encourages manual plays.
Do YouTube Videos Play Automatically on Other Social Media Platforms?
Autoplay settings vary across different social media platforms:
Facebook videos hosted natively on the platform play automatically but default autoplay settings for other embedded videos like YouTube is disabled. Users must click to play YouTube videos on Facebook.
Twitter has autoplay enabled by default for videos on both desktop and mobile. YouTube videos will play automatically as users scroll Twitter feeds unless autoplay is disabled in settings.
Instagram does not autoplay videos in the main feed. YouTube videos remain paused until initiated manually. However, videos play automatically when viewed on the Explore page or in Stories.
TikTok
Autoplay is a core part of the TikTok experience. Videos continuously play as users scroll feeds. This includes embedded YouTube videos which will play automatically.
YouTube
On YouTube itself, autoplay for suggested videos after finishing a video is enabled by default. However autoplay of multiple videos in a playlist or feed is disabled unless users opt into the feature.
So autoplay behavior depends on both the platform and the individual user’s settings. But YouTube videos generally will not play automatically unless users proactively enable the feature.
Conclusion
To summarize, YouTube videos do not autoplay by default on LinkedIn when shared in posts or pages. Users must opt into autoplay through their LinkedIn account settings. Enabling the feature will allow automatic playback while scrolling feeds, but may have tradeoffs to consider regarding data usage, disruptive audio, and distracted viewing.
When posting YouTube videos on LinkedIn, optimize for both autoplay on and off with captions, mobile-friendly formatting, and contextual text. Check platform-specific settings if enabling autoplay for a more seamless viewing experience. But the default LinkedIn setting will keep YouTube videos paused until manually played, providing full control for users.