This article was published on July 26, 2017

Google now blasts autoplay videos straight into your Search results


Google now blasts autoplay videos straight into your Search results

No one asked for this.

In a move that is bound to piss off netizens across the globe, Google has enabled autoplay videos in Search.

Following a report from The SEM Post, the internet giant confirmed with Search Engine Land it is currently running a small-scale experiment which involves automatically playing videos in search results.

Despite this sucky move, one positive thing is that the Big G hasn’t yet decided whether autoplay videos will roll out globally. “We are constantly experimenting with ways to improve the search experience for our users, but have no plans to announce [the feature] at this time,” a Google spokesperson told the publication.

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Here is how Search results currently appear to users in the test sample:

The other good thing about this implementation is that, as of now, it keeps videos muted by default – even when they start playing.

Perhaps more worrying is the fact that Google is not alone in its experiments with autoplay video. Facebook has already pushed the feature to its main app and Instagram. Not to stay behind, Twitter followed suit with a similar implementation a little over two years ago.

Facing heated backlash from users, Facebook eventually made autoplay videos an opt-out setting. But in case you continue to seek shelter from the incessant nuisance of automatic videos, you can resort to this nifty Chrome extension to block them all.

So in case you want to avoid using extensions to block autoplay videos in Search in the near future: Now is the time to let Google know how you feel about this “feature.”

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