Brave-browser: Autoplay is not blocked

[btlechowski]

Follow up to: https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/issues/3751

By default we block autoplay. Autoplay is no longer consistently blocked.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Clean profile
2. Go to https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/cnt8no/best_cops_ever/
3. Block notifications and accepts cookies
4. Scroll down the page
5. Reload the page 5 times

Actual result:

The Blocked media indicator in URL bar is shown
The video is played

Expected result:

The Blocked media indicator in URL bar is shown
The video is not played

Reproduces how often:

Easily reproduced

Brave version (brave://version info)

Reproducible on

Brave | 0.68.121 Chromium: 76.0.3809.100 (Official Build) beta (64-bit)
-- | --
Revision | ed9d447d30203dc5069e540f05079e493fc1c132-refs/branch-heads/3809@{#990}
OS | Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (Build 7601.24494)

Brave | 0.70.49 Chromium: 76.0.3809.100 (Official Build) nightly (64-bit)
-- | --
Revision | ed9d447d30203dc5069e540f05079e493fc1c132-refs/branch-heads/3809@{#990}
OS | Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (Build 7601.24494)

Not reproducible on

Brave | 0.67.124 Chromium: 76.0.3809.100 (Official Build) (64-bit)
-- | --
Revision | ed9d447d30203dc5069e540f05079e493fc1c132-refs/branch-heads/3809@{#990}
OS | Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (Build 7601.24494)

cc @brave/legacy_qa @simonhong @rebron

[LaurenWags]

@btlechowski sounds like you're saying that after refreshing the page, the video plays for you? is that correct?

Here's what I'm seeing on macOS:

1. Clean profile
2. Go to https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/cnt8no/best_cops_ever/
3. Reload the page 5 times
4. Video doesn't play until I click on it to play.
   This is how it's working on 0.67.x and 0.68.x for me.

Brave | 0.67.125 Chromium: 76.0.3809.100 (Official Build) (64-bit)
-- | --
Revision | ed9d447d30203dc5069e540f05079e493fc1c132-refs/branch-heads/3809@{#990}
OS | Mac OS X

Brave | 0.68.128 Chromium: 76.0.3809.100 (Official Build) beta (64-bit)
-- | --
Revision | ed9d447d30203dc5069e540f05079e493fc1c132-refs/branch-heads/3809@{#990}
OS | Mac OS X

[btlechowski]

@LaurenWags Thanks for checking. I updated the steps. I think the key was to scroll the page. I also included a video.

[LaurenWags]

Tried scrolling, still unable to reproduce. Video does not play automatically for me.

@GeetaSarvadnya @kjozwiak could you guys try as well?

Brave | 0.68.130 Chromium: 76.0.3809.100 (Official Build) (64-bit)
-- | --
Revision | ed9d447d30203dc5069e540f05079e493fc1c132-refs/branch-heads/3809@{#990}
OS | Mac OS X

[Brave-Matt]

I can reproduce this on several sites, as can other users who have reported similar behavior. I actually brought this up internally here:
https://bravesoftware.slack.com/archives/C0YL5KMA8/p1559587999016400
Some excerpts from that thread:
Typical behavior is as follows:

1. On the site (Youtube used in example) Autoplay is not blocked even though it is set to Block in default Site settings
2. The lock icon shows Autoplay = Block — changing this to Block (default) does not change the setting on page reload
3. Lock --> Site Settings --> Autoplay reveals that, somehow, Autoplay is now set to Allow (default) [You can see this in the first gif image attached]
4. From here, changing site setting to Block and reloading works…usually. Sometimes, behavior is similar but, as you can see in the second attached gif, sometimes changing the setting from Allow --> Block does change the setting, but doesn’t show that it’s changed and instead switches to Allow in the drop down menu — even if Autoplay is subsequently blocked

☝️ This was tested in earlier builds, but the same behavior is shown in 0.68x Release channel. Tested using macOS Mojave.

[Brave-Matt]

Had a helpful/active Community member submit a similar report confirming the above:
Quoting @hnktong:

OK, I’m getting the same thing as the OP in same version of Brave and macOS. I tried your suggestion, and the setting will not change from Allow. When I select Block or Block (Default), it just goes back to Allow.

Also, before I tried that, I tried going to the setting directly, and when I turn the toggle to “Blocked” in the detail setting, the list of site settings still says “Ask,” but it doesn’t even ask with either toggle.

So I tried adding youtube.com to the block list and did a Shift-Cmd-R to force reload, and that worked:

HOWEVER, it doesn’t appear to work in Nightly (0.71.68 Chromium: 76.0.3809.132 (Official Build) nightly (64-bit)). When I get more time, I’ll tinker more.

Thread with additional user report:
https://community.brave.com/t/disable-youtube-autoplay-on-page-load/80790

[Brave-Matt]

+1 https://community.brave.com/t/how-do-i-block-video-autoplay-on-tomshardware-com/73820?u=mattches

[Brave-Matt]

+1 https://community.brave.com/t/how-do-i-block-video-autoplay-on-tomshardware-com/73820/2?u=mattches

[Brave-Matt]

+1 https://community.brave.com/t/thehill-com-autoplay-wont-block/84453/4

[blis5fool]

I'm seeing this on Kinja sites - deadspin.com, lifehacker.com, etc.
The videos that autoplay are "_Recent Videos_" and "_Featured Videos_". Examples:

Recent Videos
https://deadspin.com/nikola-jokic-lulled-hassan-whiteside-to-sleep-1839326493

Scroll down a bit more:

Featured Videos
https://deadspin.com/

[Kronzky]

Here's another site that autoplays the video, even if I have my autoplay setting on "Ask".
The popup will ask, I say "block", and then it plays anyway...
https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/crime/multiple-people-shot-in-southeast-fresno/amp/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter_CBS47&__twitter_impression=true

As I tested the repro, the behaving became somewhat random. Sometimes it would play, sometimes it wouldn't. In a private window it never seems to play.

[mikehewritesit]

Here's another one which cannot be blocked by Settings - Autoplay, even if you set to ask or specifically tell Brave to block all videos for the domain:

https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/truckfirethreatensgasstation/51-c68feb83-6cb5-499f-9df8-dc743ab94dce

The only way to successfully block it from playing is to block scripts and/or cross-site trackers.

[Brave-Matt]

Several +1s from Community:
https://community.brave.com/t/i-want-to-stop-all-autoplay/95116/2

This is a fairly frustrating issue and I feel like this should be resolved sooner rather than later. Can I get an update as to where we stand on this issue? cc @rebron @bsclifton @btlechowski

[Brave-Matt]

+1's from Community:
https://community.brave.com/t/youtube-still-autoplaying/100297/4

[scottstensland]

Please fix this issue
... is the only working solution to just use firefox where it correctly disables AutoPlay ?

[kerim]

Same problem here.

[willqak]

This problem is not fixed. Steps listed above in Site Settings do not prevent videos from autoplaying. This is perpetually broken, like the broken Brave display clock displaying only 1-12, despite every setting and clock on my system a 24 hour clock. Every request to fix the broken autoplay issue and the broken Brave browser clock falls on deaf ears. One particular Brave employee, code name CNDOUGLAS, is real good at closing these issues while hot-potatoeing the issue to the next request, then closing it too.

[Ziflin]

Here's another site. It seems to popup/open the video after a small delay, but there's no reason that Brave shouldn't be able to block playback:

https://www.laptopmag.com/news/ps5-price-release-date-and-more-possibly-revealed-by-leaker

It's worth noting that Edge can and does block the playback on this page when it is set to "Limit".

[pongraczi]

Similar or same as: #10811

[MeatH00k]

Tested on both Windows 10 and Linux - Manjaro (physically different machines);

Both Global Autoplay blocking and site specific autoplay blocking havent worked for me at all, on any site i have been to on either win or linux.

Have tried different combinations of both global and site specific autoplay blocking without luck.
Also tried a fresh profile, no luck.

Brave | 1.11.104 Chromium: 84.0.4147.105 (Official Build) (64-bit)
-- | --
Revision | a6b12dfad6663f13a7e16e9a42a6a4975374096b-refs/branch-heads/4147@{#943}
OS | Windows 10 OS Version 1909 (Build 18363.959)

[medic17]

I can confirm this is still an issue.
OS: Windows 10 1903
brave Version 1.12.112 Chromium: 84.0.4147.125 (Official Build) (64-bit)

autoplay not blocked even in private window and may include sound

[markuszeller]

Autoplay is on status blocked on site info, but it is still not blocking - especially on Youtube.com. This is very annoying when having multiple Youtube Tabs open together.

Windows 10 20H2 OS Build 19042.508
Version 1.14.84 Chromium: 85.0.4183.121 (Official Build) (64-bit)