JavaScript Navigator getAutoplayPolicy() Method

What You’ll Learn

navigator.getAutoplayPolicy() tells you whether media or Web Audio can autoplay: allowed, allowed-muted, or disallowed. Learn type checks (mediaelement / audiocontext), per-element checks, the mute-to-autoplay pattern, five examples, and try-it labs.

Introduction

Browsers often block surprise sound on page load. That is why videos with autoplay may start muted, wait for a click, or not start at all.

getAutoplayPolicy() gives your page a clear answer up front so you can mute a video, show a Play button, or leave autoplay alone — instead of guessing.

Understanding the getAutoplayPolicy() Method

• Call with one argument — a type string, a media element, or an AudioContext.
• Type "mediaelement" — broad policy for <video> / <audio>.
• Type "audiocontext" — broad policy for Web Audio API players.
• "allowed" — autoplay is allowed (including with sound).
• "allowed-muted" — only inaudible / muted content may autoplay.
• "disallowed" — autoplay is blocked; offer a play control.

📝 Syntax

General forms of the method:

navigator.getAutoplayPolicy(type)
navigator.getAutoplayPolicy(element)
navigator.getAutoplayPolicy(context)

Parameters

• type — "mediaelement" or "audiocontext".
• element — an HTMLMediaElement (video / audio).
• context — an AudioContext.

Return value

• A string: "allowed", "allowed-muted", or "disallowed".

Common patterns

// MDN: configure based on mediaelement policy
if (navigator.getAutoplayPolicy("mediaelement") === "allowed") {
  // Do nothing. The content can autoplay.
} else if (navigator.getAutoplayPolicy("mediaelement") === "allowed-muted") {
  // Mute the video so it can autoplay.
} else {
  // Autoplay disallowed — add a play button.
}

// Per-element check
const video = document.getElementById("video_element_id");
if (navigator.getAutoplayPolicy(video) === "allowed-muted") {
  video.muted = true;
}

Examples Gallery

Examples follow MDN Autoplay Policy Detection patterns. Prefer Try It Yourself — results differ by browser and whether the user has already interacted with the site.

if (!navigator.getAutoplayPolicy) {
  console.log("navigator.getAutoplayPolicy() not supported.");
} else {
  console.log("navigator.getAutoplayPolicy() is supported.");
}

navigator.getAutoplayPolicy() not supported.
(or "… is supported." in supporting browsers)

if (!navigator.getAutoplayPolicy) {
  console.log("getAutoplayPolicy not supported");
} else {
  console.log(
    "mediaelement policy: " + navigator.getAutoplayPolicy("mediaelement")
  );
}

getAutoplayPolicy not supported
(or mediaelement policy: allowed / allowed-muted / disallowed)

if (!navigator.getAutoplayPolicy) {
  console.log("getAutoplayPolicy not supported");
} else {
  console.log(
    "audiocontext policy: " + navigator.getAutoplayPolicy("audiocontext")
  );
}

getAutoplayPolicy not supported
(or audiocontext policy: allowed / allowed-muted / disallowed)

function configureAutoplayVideo(video) {
  if (!navigator.getAutoplayPolicy) {
    return "API missing — keep a Play button; browser decides autoplay";
  }
  const policy = navigator.getAutoplayPolicy("mediaelement");
  if (policy === "allowed") {
    return "allowed — leave video unmuted";
  }
  if (policy === "allowed-muted") {
    video.muted = true;
    return "allowed-muted — video muted so it can autoplay";
  }
  return "disallowed — show a Play button instead of autoplay";
}

const fakeVideo = { muted: false };
console.log(configureAutoplayVideo(fakeVideo));
console.log("muted = " + fakeVideo.muted);

API missing — keep a Play button; browser decides autoplay
muted = false
(or allowed / allowed-muted / disallowed messages when supported)

const video = document.createElement("video");

if (!navigator.getAutoplayPolicy) {
  console.log("getAutoplayPolicy not supported");
} else {
  const typePolicy = navigator.getAutoplayPolicy("mediaelement");
  const elPolicy = navigator.getAutoplayPolicy(video);
  console.log("type: " + typePolicy);
  console.log("element: " + elPolicy);
  if (elPolicy === "allowed-muted") {
    video.muted = true;
    console.log("Element muted for autoplay");
  }
}

getAutoplayPolicy not supported
(or type/element policy strings; they match on first load)

🚀 Common Use Cases

• Hero / background videos — mute automatically when policy is allowed-muted.
• Play button UX — show controls when policy is disallowed.
• Web Audio apps — check audiocontext before starting sound without a click.
• Media players — configure autoplay flags from a single policy read on load.
• Progressive enhancement — feature-detect and never rely on autoplay alone.

📝 Notes

• Experimental — feature-detect always; keep a Play-button fallback.
• Not Deprecated or Non-standard — Experimental banner only.
• No change event — re-check before play if the user may have interacted.
• Wrong argument types throw TypeError.
• Related: getBattery(), mediaSession, userActivation, Window.

💡 Best Practices