Over the years, I've learned that I'm OK with some websites playing video, and not happy when others do the same. Google's latest update to Chrome for desktop will take your preferences into account, and automatically mute and stop video. Here's how to enable this feature.
Google formally announced the feature in a blog post written by John Pallett, a Chrome product manager who also lists himself as a Media Muter. And instead of pushing users to navigate a series of menus, Chrome will adjust itself based on your actions.
According to Pallett, Chrome will keep track of sites where you play media with sound during most of your visits, and those where you mute and pause videos. Then, it will automatically play and mute videos to match your history.
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By default, for users without a browsing history, Chrome will allow videos to autoplay "for over 1,000 sites where" it sees "the highest percentage of visitors play media with sound." So, this is as good a time to say it's worth it to sign into Chrome. If you haven't, click the three dots in the upper right corner, select Settings and click Sign In To Chrome.
Once that's settled, make sure you've got the latest version of Chrome. Yes, Chrome automatically updates itself, but that's only when you shut it down completely or restart your system, and that may have been a while ago, depending on your habits.
1. Click the three dots in the top right corner.
2. Click Settings.
3. Click the Menu button.
4. Click About Chrome.
5. Here, you'll learn if your browser is up to date or needs to be updated. Follow the given instructions if an update is available.
6. Now, just use Chrome as you prefer, pausing and muting videos accordingly.
