The Unwanted Autoplay
Windows 11 utilizes the built-in “Photos” app as the default viewer for both images and video files. A frequent complaint among users is the app’s aggressive autoplay behavior. If you open a folder filled with mixed media and double-click a video file to view it, the video will begin playing immediately. Furthermore, if you use the left/right arrow keys to flip through your pictures, the moment you land on a video file, it will instantly begin blaring audio and playing without you pressing the play button. This can be startling, embarrassing in quiet environments, and generally annoying if you simply wanted to check the thumbnail or metadata of the file.
Restoring Manual Playback
To regain control over your media playback and stop Windows 11 from automatically playing videos inside the Photos app, you must adjust the application’s internal settings.
Open the Photos app from your Start menu. In the top-right corner of the application window, locate and click the Settings icon (it looks like a small gear). A new settings panel will slide out or open. Scroll down through the various options until you find the section labelled Viewing and editing. Under this section, look for the specific toggle switch titled Autoplay videos. Click this toggle switch so that it turns Off. Close the settings. From now on, when you open a video or scroll past one in a gallery, it will display a static frame with a prominent play button, requiring your explicit click to begin playback.