What is the Autoplay Policy and How it Affects ScreenCloud?
Autoplay policy is a set of rules built into web browsers that stops websites from playing video or sound automatically. For example, you might visit a webpage and notice that a video or music track does not play until you select Play.
Modern browsers such as Google Chrome no longer let websites play sound automatically without your permission. This can also stop videos and sound from playing automatically in some ScreenCloud players and features. For media to autoplay with sound in a browser, one of the following usually needs to be true:
You have allowed sound for the website in your browser settings.
The website has a high enough Media Engagement Index (MEI) in your browser. This builds up when you have played videos longer than 7 seconds with sound on that website in the past.
On most of our dedicated ScreenCloud player apps (for example Android, Fire OS and ChromeOS in Kiosk mode), we control how videos and audio play, so autoplay policy does not stop your content. Browser-based players and previews follow your browser's autoplay rules. For more information, see Google's autoplay policy and the Media Engagement Index.
How can I manage the autoplay policy for video and audio?
Below are the ScreenCloud players and features that can be affected by autoplay policy, and how to get your video or audio playing in each case.
Previewing screens from your account (browser)
When you preview or test screens in your ScreenCloud account in a web browser, you may notice that Google Chrome does not autoplay videos with sound. To fix this, allow sound for ScreenCloud in your Chrome settings.
To allow sound for a website in Google Chrome:
Open Chrome and go to Settings. You can also go straight to the sound settings by entering chrome://settings/content/sound in the address bar.
Select Privacy and security, then Site settings.
Select Additional content settings, then Sound.
Next to Allowed to play sound, select Add and enter the website address.
For previewing screens, add the following websites:
The other sections in this article list the websites to add for each player or feature, using these same steps.
ChromeOS Player (non-managed or no Chrome license)
To run ScreenCloud on a ChromeOS device (for example a Chromebox or Chromebase), the device must be enrolled in Kiosk mode with a ChromeOS management licence. Unmanaged ChromeOS devices are no longer supported. Running the ScreenCloud player as the kiosk app on a managed device allows videos to autoplay with sound.
The ScreenCloud ChromeOS player runs as an Isolated Web App (IWA) and needs ChromeOS 140 or later. For setup steps, see:
ScreenCloud Web Player
The ScreenCloud Web Player lets you use a web browser as a screen. Open https://web.screencloud.com in your browser (we recommend Google Chrome) and pair it with your ScreenCloud account. You can also install the Web Player as an app on Windows or macOS. For full setup steps, see ScreenCloud Web Player.
When the Web Player runs in a browser, it follows your browser's autoplay rules, even when it is running on a physical screen. To let videos play with sound, follow the steps in "Previewing screens from your account (browser)" and add the following website:
The embeddable player runs in your own web browser, so ScreenCloud cannot override the autoplay policy. This also gives viewers control over when content plays. To get your content playing, you can do either of the following:
Press play: Select the play button on the video (for example on a YouTube video) to start it.
Allow sound in your browser: Follow the steps in "Previewing screens from your account (browser)" and add the following websites:
The Live News app shows live news channels from YouTube news live streams, so it can be affected by autoplay policy when it runs in a browser. When you preview Live News in your browser, the stream may not play with sound. Browser-based players, such as the Web Player and the embeddable player, follow the same browser autoplay rules on a physical screen. On most dedicated player apps, Live News plays as expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will autoplay policy resolve on its own, or do I need to manually change my settings?
No, it will not resolve on its own. Autoplay policy is set by web browsers and operating systems, such as Google Chrome and ChromeOS, not by ScreenCloud. Depending on how you use ScreenCloud, you may need to change your settings. Follow the steps for your player or feature in "How can I manage the autoplay policy for video and audio?".
I’ve changed my autoplay settings and a YouTube video still won’t load or play, why?
YouTube channel owners can control whether their videos can be shared or embedded in third-party apps. Other services, such as Facebook, Vimeo and Instagram, have similar controls. If embedding is turned off for a video, it will not load or play in ScreenCloud. To learn more, see How Do Websites With a Video Player Work in ScreenCloud?
YouTube videos must also be publicly available to play in ScreenCloud. Private, unlisted or restricted videos cannot be played, and neither can paid, premium or copyright-restricted content.
For Vimeo videos, open the video settings in your Vimeo library, set Link privacy to Public and allow embedding anywhere, then save your changes. Private or limited-sharing videos are not supported.
I’ve changed my autoplay settings and audio still won’t play, why?
If audio still won't play after changing your autoplay settings, the issue may be related to your hardware or setup. Check whether the issue affects one device or several devices running ScreenCloud. For more troubleshooting steps, see How can I resolve video playback issues on my ScreenCloud player or device?
When you preview videos in your browser, they may not autoplay with sound because of browser policies such as Google Chrome's. Browser-based players, such as the Web Player and the embeddable player, follow the same rules on a physical screen. Most dedicated player apps are not affected.
If you use ScreenCloud on an Android TV, try the following:
Clear the app cache: Clear the ScreenCloud app's cache to prevent playback lag.
Update software: Make sure the Android TV OS and the ScreenCloud app are up to date.
Check video formats: Use a widely compatible format such as MP4 (H.264). For 1080p videos, keep the bitrate between 5 and 10 Mbps. You can convert videos with tools such as Adobe Premiere.
Use optimised video playback: In Studio, set the screen's Video Playback Source to Optimized. Learn more.
Reinstall the app: Reinstalling can help resolve technical glitches.
My device is connected via HDMI but there’s no sound. How do I fix this?
If your device running ScreenCloud is connected to your screen with HDMI but there’s no sound (even though sound works with other apps), try these steps.
Restart everything: Reboot your screen and device, and unplug then replug the HDMI cable.
Check for updates: Make sure your device’s operating system is up to date. For example, on an Amazon Fire TV Stick, go to Settings > My Fire TV > About > Check for System Update.
Reinstall ScreenCloud: Uninstall and reinstall the ScreenCloud player app. When reopening it, accept any permissions it asks for. If needed, use the Replace Device option to reconnect the screen.
Factory reset: Only do this as a last resort, as the steps above usually solve the issue.
If you’re still having trouble, please reach out to our support team.