If you are watching YouTube and want something to play after the current video, turn on Autoplay in the controls for the device you are using. It may start a related video when playback ends, but it does not promise a particular next video or guarantee that every ended live stream will be followed by another one.
If you run the live stream and want viewers sent to a particular Premiere or live stream, use YouTube Live Redirect instead. Autoplay is a viewer-controlled playback setting; Live Redirect is a creator-side routing feature with eligibility and permission requirements.
First decide whether you are watching or publishing
The phrase “play the next video” can describe two different jobs. As a viewer, you are asking YouTube to continue watching something it selects as related. As a creator, you may want to direct the audience to a specific next destination when your broadcast ends. The controls and the degree of control are different.
For viewer convenience, Autoplay is the relevant switch. You enable it on the device or player where you are watching. YouTube’s description is that another related video will automatically play after a video ends when Autoplay is on. That is a selection by YouTube, not a queue you have authored or a promise that a particular video will follow a live stream. See YouTube’s Autoplay help page for current controls and behaviour.
For a planned hand-off from your own live broadcast, Live Redirect is the creator tool to investigate. It can send viewers to a Premiere or another live stream chosen by the creator, subject to the rules described later. Turning on Autoplay will not configure that hand-off. Conversely, setting up a redirect does not turn on Autoplay for viewers who are simply watching other videos.
This distinction matters if you are troubleshooting an apparent gap. If you are watching a devotional stream and the player stops, check Autoplay on the viewing device. If you are the channel owner trying to move the audience from a finished bhajan session to a scheduled Premiere, check Live Redirect and its eligibility. A repeatable playlist or broadcast schedule is a separate creator workflow; for example, planning a Marathi devotional playlist for an all-day live channel concerns the content you broadcast, not a viewer’s Autoplay setting.
Turn on Autoplay on Android or iOS
On an Android phone, iPhone or iPad, open the video’s watch screen and look for the Autoplay switch on the player. Turn it on. You can also change the setting through your profile picture, then Settings > Autoplay. Labels or layout can shift as the YouTube app changes, so use the player’s own control if you do not see the setting immediately in the menu.
After enabling it, leave the video open and let it reach its end. Autoplay is intended to continue with a related video; it does not offer a control to specify an exact URL as the next item. If you need to hear one chosen recording, use a playlist or open that video yourself rather than relying on the recommendation that follows.
Check the setting on the actual phone or tablet used for viewing. YouTube says Autoplay settings can differ between devices, so turning it on in the phone app does not establish that it is on in a browser, television app or another person’s phone. If several people share a household account, test on the screen where the stream is actually being watched.
If you are casting from a phone or tablet to a television, use the mobile device’s playback controls rather than assuming the TV app’s setting applies. Open the playback control bar near the bottom of the mobile screen and inspect the queue and Autoplay control there. Casting adds a second screen, but the phone or tablet remains the place to check the cast playback controls described in YouTube’s help.
Turn on Autoplay on a computer
On a computer, open the video watch page and turn on the Autoplay switch below the player. The control is associated with the player, so confirm its state while on the page where you are watching, rather than relying on the setting you saw earlier on a different device.
To test it, allow the current video to finish while the watch page remains in use. If a related video begins, the setting is working as intended. If nothing follows, first check that Autoplay is still on, then check whether you have moved away from the player or started typing in search or comments. Those actions can prevent automatic continuation, so the result is not always evidence of a broken channel or stream.
Autoplay is useful when you are listening in the background and do not mind YouTube choosing a related item. It is a poor fit when you need a particular order for a class, a prayer session or a business demonstration. In those cases, make a playlist or keep the intended next item ready. A creator managing a continuous show can also review how scheduled podcast episodes fit into a continuous YouTube Live stream; that is a programming decision rather than a setting viewers can impose through Autoplay.
Turn on Autoplay on a TV
On a smart TV or game console, open the YouTube app and go to Settings > Autoplay, then set it to On. The menu is within the app on that device. Do not infer its state from the setting on your phone or computer, even if you use the same account, because YouTube notes that settings may differ between devices.
TV interfaces often make it less obvious which account or app screen is active. Check that you are in the YouTube app rather than a television’s own media player, and confirm the Autoplay setting in the app itself. Then let the video reach its end without switching inputs or leaving the player. A TV may display a countdown or suggestion, but the destination remains a related recommendation rather than a user-specified guaranteed next item.
If you cast content, distinguish casting from watching directly in the TV app. While casting, bring up the controls on the phone or tablet and inspect the playback bar, queue and Autoplay control. If the behaviour differs between direct playback and casting, test both paths separately; they can expose different controls and device settings.
What Autoplay may play next
Autoplay can play another related video after a video ends. “Related” is the important qualification: the setting does not let you choose the next title, and YouTube does not promise that a particular live stream will lead to a particular recording. Nor does the help guidance guarantee that every live broadcast ending will trigger another playback. A creator cannot use a viewer’s Autoplay switch to make a fixed destination appear.
That is why an ended live stream can be followed by a recommendation you did not expect, or by no automatic playback. The current video may have ended in circumstances where continuation is not offered, the viewer may have interrupted the player, or the setting may be off on that device. Treat Autoplay as a convenience for possible related playback, not as a channel scheduling or audience-routing plan.
YouTube also documents that moving away from the player by scrolling, or interacting by typing in comments or search, can stop the next video from starting automatically. In practical terms, leave the player in view and avoid entering text if you want Autoplay to continue. On a shared TV, someone using search or navigating elsewhere can change the outcome even though the switch appears enabled.
Inactivity is another limit. YouTube Help says Autoplay may stop after 30 minutes of inactivity on mobile data, or after four hours on Wi-Fi. These are product behaviour details, not a guarantee that a stream will run for those durations. If you are listening for a long period, check the current YouTube help guidance and the device’s own sleep or network behaviour rather than assuming Autoplay will keep playing indefinitely. For a channel that stops unexpectedly, separating stream lag from buffering problems can help identify whether the issue is on the viewer’s connection or in the broadcast.
Use Live Redirect for a chosen destination
If you are the creator and want the audience to arrive at a specific Premiere or live stream after your own live stream ends, look at Live Redirect in YouTube Studio. This is creator-side routing, not Autoplay. You choose a destination and arrange the redirect; viewers do not choose it by switching Autoplay on or off. YouTube explains the feature and its requirements in its Live Redirect help page.
The distinction is useful for a channel with a clear programme sequence. A live devotional session might end as a scheduled Premiere begins, or a news channel might hand viewers to a following live bulletin. Live Redirect is designed for that selected destination, whereas Autoplay may select a related video according to YouTube’s playback behaviour. Neither tool should be described as a guarantee that every viewer will continue watching: people can leave, change screens or have playback interrupted.
YouTube’s listed eligibility for sending a redirect includes having more than 1,000 subscribers and no Community Guidelines strike. If you want to redirect to another channel’s live stream, that channel must grant permission through YouTube Studio. Check the current official requirements before planning an event around the feature, since settings and eligibility can change.
YouTube also advises creators to tell viewers to wait a few seconds so their screen can reload to the Premiere. Include that instruction in your spoken sign-off, pinned information or on-screen message, and leave a clear pause at the end of the broadcast. This gives viewers context for the transition, but it cannot ensure that every viewer’s device follows it.
For creators who simply want a prerecorded file to remain on air without sitting at a computer, that is a separate production question from redirecting viewers after a live ends. A workflow such as running a prerecorded YouTube stream from a spare Windows PC overnight addresses how the broadcast is operated; Live Redirect addresses where viewers are sent at its end.
Check the setting and test the right thing
When Autoplay does not work, test the viewer path before changing your channel setup. On the exact device, open the relevant YouTube player or app settings and make sure Autoplay is on. Keep the player in view, do not start typing, and let a normal video reach its end. If the setting works for ordinary videos but not after a particular live stream, that still does not establish a fault: related-video playback after a live stream is not guaranteed.
If the problem is that you need a known next destination, stop troubleshooting Autoplay and configure the creator-side approach. Review Live Redirect’s current eligibility, choose the Premiere or live stream, and confirm any required permission from the destination channel. Do a rehearsal before an important hand-off, using the account and destination you expect to use. A test helps you catch a missing setting or permission, but it is not a promise about every viewer’s device or connection.
Keep the two checks separate in your notes: “Autoplay enabled on the viewer’s device” and “Live Redirect set by the creator”. This avoids a common support loop in which the channel owner searches for a creator setting to fix a viewer preference, or a viewer expects their Autoplay switch to control a channel’s chosen destination. If your own broadcast itself is ending earlier than expected, investigate the stream separately; steps for a 24/7 YouTube stream that stops after a few hours concern continuity of the broadcast, not what YouTube plays after its end.
For a long-running channel, decide which problem you are solving before choosing an operating method. A viewer who wants background listening needs the device-level Autoplay control and should accept that YouTube chooses the related item. A creator who needs a selected post-live destination needs Live Redirect, where eligible, and should tell viewers what to expect. If neither fits, a manually opened video or an arranged playlist may be more predictable for the person watching, while a creator can plan the next programme as part of the broadcast schedule.
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FAQ
Does Autoplay always start a video after a YouTube Live stream ends?
No. YouTube describes Autoplay as playing another related video after a video ends, but it does not guarantee playback after every ended live stream. It also does not promise a particular next video.
Can I choose which video Autoplay plays next?
No. Autoplay does not give you a control for selecting a specific next title. If you need a chosen destination after your own live broadcast, check whether Live Redirect is available to you.
Why does Autoplay work on my phone but not on my TV?
YouTube’s Autoplay setting can differ by device, so check the TV app’s Settings > Autoplay rather than relying on the phone setting. Also check that the TV remains on the YouTube player and that the current playback has reached its end normally.
Is Live Redirect the same as Autoplay?
No. Autoplay is a viewer-side setting that may play a related video; Live Redirect is a creator-side feature for sending viewers to a selected Premiere or live stream. Redirects have YouTube eligibility and permission requirements, so review the current official help page before relying on one.