YouTube videos will automatically play when you open the app, even if you don’t want them to

Autoplay is seen as one of the most annoying things on the internet

Signage is seen at a YouTube stand at the Labour Party Conference venue in Brighton, Britain, September 26, 2017 (REUTERS/Toby Melville)

YouTube is making a major change to its app, which is likely to prove unpopular with the majority of users.

It has added autoplay videos to home page, which start playing even if you don’t want them to.

The video right at the top of your home screen will play as soon as you open the app and, as you scroll down, it will stop and the one displayed below it will start.

The new functionality was spotted by Android Central, which says that videos on the home page play all the way through if you let them.

Autoplay videos are seen as one of the most annoying things on the internet, and many users will be disappointed to hear that YouTube has now started experimenting with them.

The good news is that YouTube’s autoplay videos play silently, with subtitles being used as a replacement.

As autoplay on the home page is still being tested, the feature has only gone live on a select number of users’ handsets so far. If feedback is poor, it could be scrapped altogether.

Android Central says autoplay, which YouTube calls Play As You Browse, is enabled by default, but you have the option to either disable it completely or tweak the setting so videos only play automatically when you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network.

To do this, you need to navigate to Account, Settings, General and Play As You Browse.

It's a slightly unexpected move from YouTube, as Google, the company that owns the videos site, recently admitted that autoplay is "a major source of annoyance for users" and has plans to combat them.