Autoplay on iOS Devices

Presto Player has intentionally disabled autoplay on iOS devices. This is due to iOS-level restrictions that make reliable autoplay impossible. This article explains why and what you can do instead.

Why Autoplay Does Not Work on iOS

iOS devices enforce strict autoplay restrictions at the browser and operating system level. These restrictions exist for two main reasons:

• Low Power Mode – iOS prioritizes battery efficiency and may block video autoplay to reduce power consumption.
• User Experience Policies – Apple considers autoplay (especially with sound) a poor user experience and restricts it by default across all iOS browsers, including Safari, Chrome for iOS, and Firefox for iOS.

Because of these limitations, Presto Player disables autoplay on iOS to prevent inconsistent and unreliable behavior.

What You Can Do Instead

Option 1 – Add a Large Play Button

When autoplay is enabled in Presto Player, all controls including the play button are hidden. On iOS, this leaves users with no way to start the video.

The simplest fix is to enable the Large Play Button in your preset settings. This gives users a visible button to start the video manually and works reliably on all iOS devices.

Option 2 – Use a WordPress Filter to Enable Muted Autoplay

iOS allows muted autoplay in some cases. You can use a WordPress filter to mute the player and re-enable autoplay, which may work on iOS depending on the browser and device settings.

Add the following code to your child theme’s functions.php file. Replace 3 with your video ID.

add_action('wp_footer', function () { ?>
	<script>
		jQuery(function() {
			if (!wp || !wp.hooks) return;
			wp.hooks.addFilter('presto.playerSettings', 'customizePrestoPlayer', function(settings) {

				// You can check the ID for the player and change the settings accordingly.
				console.log(settings.id);

				// Change the settings for the player with ID 3.
				if( 3 === settings.id) {

					// Mute the player and autoplay it on ios.
					settings.muted = true;
					settings.autoplay = true;
				}
				return settings;
			});
		});
	</script>
<?php });

How to Find Your Video ID

Right-click on the video on your site and select Inspect. In the Elements panel, look for a class attribute on the player element that looks like this:

class="presto-video-id-49 presto-preset-id-1 skin-modern hydrated"

In this example, 49 is the video ID. Update the filter code above to match your video’s ID.

Conclusion

iOS autoplay restrictions are enforced at the system level and cannot be fully bypassed. Using a large play button or enabling muted autoplay via the WordPress filter are the two most effective workarounds. If you have any questions or need further help, feel free to reach out to our support team. We’re happy to help.