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Guide
Are You Still Watching YouTube (2026)
Why the prompt appears and how to keep playback going.
The “Are you still watching?” prompt is YouTube’s idle check. It appears after long periods without interaction and pauses the video until you click continue. There is no official setting to disable it, but you can reduce how often it triggers and avoid interruptions.
Why it shows up
- You have not interacted with the player for a while.
- The tab is hidden or minimized.
- Power saving settings limit background activity.
- Some extensions block player events YouTube expects.
What you can do
- Keep the tab active during long sessions.
- Disable battery saver or background limits.
- Update your browser/app to avoid player bugs.
- Remove conflicting extensions that reload or inject UI.
The hands-off fix
If you want uninterrupted playback, use a tool that detects the prompt and clicks it for you. YT Nonstop does exactly that without touching other dialogs.
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