How to stop music from automatically playing on Android when headphones are plugged in?

Music or media automatically playing when headphones are plugged into an Android phone is a common issue many users face. This default behavior happens because Android is designed to detect when headphones are connected and automatically begin playing the last media app that was open.

While convenient in some cases, this can be annoying if you plug in headphones just to make a call or use an app that doesn’t require media playback. Having audio start unexpectedly prevents other sounds from coming through and can interrupt your workflow.

Luckily, there are a few ways to disable this auto-play feature on Android. This guide will walk through the different methods available depending on your phone, OS version, apps, and preferences.

Understanding the Default Behavior

Android is designed to automatically begin playing music when headphones are plugged in. This default behavior is intended to make it quick and convenient to start listening to audio right away. Some Android devices will automatically open the default music app and begin playing songs, playlists, or podcasts as soon as headphones are detected.

This autoplay feature works whether you plug in wired headphones or connect wireless Bluetooth headphones. As soon as Android recognizes that headphones are connected, it will automatically start playing audio from the last used music app.

Some users find this convenient and enjoy being able to quickly resume listening just by plugging in headphones. However, others may find the autoplay behavior disruptive or annoying, especially if they just wanted to plug in headphones to make a call rather than listen to music.

Fortunately, there are ways to disable media autoplay on Android devices if you prefer your music and audio apps not to start playing automatically when headphones are detected.

Checking Media Settings

To check if media autoplay is enabled on your Android device, go to your Settings app and select Media (sometimes called Sound & vibration). Look for an option called “Autoplay” and see if it is toggled on.

As per this Verge article, on some Samsung devices you may need to go to Settings > Sounds and vibration > Media to find the autoplay toggle. On other Android devices like OnePlus, go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Media and toggle off the “Auto-play media” option.

If Autoplay is enabled in your Media settings, you can simply turn it off to prevent media from automatically starting when headphones are plugged in. Disabling this system-wide setting is the easiest way to stop autoplay across various apps and services.

Disabling Media Autoplay

One of the easiest ways to disable media from automatically playing when headphones are plugged in is to toggle off the Autoplay switch in your Android device’s Media settings. Here’s how:

1. Open the Settings app on your Android device.
2. Tap on “Sound & vibration” or “Sounds & vibration”.
3. Scroll down and tap on “Media”.
4. Toggle off the switch next to “Autoplay”.

With Autoplay disabled in your Media settings, audio and video files will no longer automatically start playing when you plug in headphones or connect to a Bluetooth device [1]. This prevents music, videos, podcasts, and other media from interrupting you when all you wanted to do was make a phone call or listen to an alarm.

Keep in mind this setting will apply system-wide, so media won’t autoplay in any apps. If you only want to disable autoplay in certain apps, you’ll need to adjust settings within each individual app instead.

Using Do Not Disturb Mode

One way to stop media from autoplaying when headphones are connected is to enable Do Not Disturb mode on your Android device. Do Not Disturb blocks notifications and media sounds while it is turned on. According to Google Support, enabling Do Not Disturb mode will mute sound and stop vibration, preventing media from autoplaying.

When Do Not Disturb is enabled, any media that tries to autoplay from apps will be blocked. This makes it a useful option if you want to prevent audio from automatically starting when you plug in headphones. Just remember to turn off Do Not Disturb when you want notifications and media sounds again.

Disabling App Notifications

One of the most effective ways to stop music from automatically playing when headphones are plugged in is to disable notifications from music and media apps. This prevents the apps from sending notifications that could trigger autoplay.

To disable notifications for a specific app on Android:

1. Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > Notifications
2. Select the app you want to disable notifications for
3. Toggle off “Allow notifications” or uncheck specific notification categories

This will stop the app from sending any notifications that could autoplay media when headphones are connected. Focus on disabling notifications from music, video, and audio apps like Spotify, YouTube Music, Pandora, etc. https://www.slashgear.com/1232822/how-to-disable-app-notifications-on-your-android-phone/

You can also disable notifications for all apps at once using Do Not Disturb mode. Just be aware this will stop all notifications, so you may miss important alerts.

Adjusting Individual App Settings

Many apps that autoplay media have settings you can adjust to disable this behavior. Here are some tips for individual apps:

For YouTube, open the app settings and look for the “Autoplay” option. Turn this off to prevent videos from automatically playing after each video finishes (Source).

In Spotify, go to Settings > Autoplay and toggle off options like “Autoplay similar songs” to prevent music from automatically queueing up (Source).

Facebook and Instagram have Autoplay controls in their respective app settings. Turn these off to stop videos in feeds from playing without a tap.

Look for “Autoplay” or “Autoplay Videos” options in app settings for streaming services like Netflix and Prime Video to prevent trailers and previews from starting automatically.

Disabling autoplay in individual apps gives you more control over your media experience.

Using Third-Party Apps

In addition to the built-in settings on Android, there are also third-party apps that can help stop media from autoplaying. One popular option is Don’t Kill My Music, which is designed specifically to prevent music and audio from automatically playing when headphones are plugged in or connected via Bluetooth.

Don’t Kill My Music works by preventing other apps from interrupting your music playback. Once installed, it runs in the background and stops autoplay from happening across your device. The app is free to download and use, though it does contain optional in-app purchases. Many users report Don’t Kill My Music being effective at stopping unwanted media autoplay.

Other apps like AutoMusicOff and MusicCare – No Headset No Music provide similar functionality. Trying out a dedicated third-party autoplay manager can give you more robust control over media playback. Just be sure to check app reviews and permissions before downloading.

Trying Developer Options

Android devices have hidden developer settings that allow further customization and control. One option that may help stop autoplay is enabling “Don’t keep activities” in developer options.

To enable developer options, go to Settings > About phone and tap Build number 7 times. Then go back and open Developer options. Scroll down and enable “Don’t keep activities.” This instantly destroys every activity as soon as the user leaves the app, which may prevent media from autoplaying when headphones are plugged in.

There are also some autoplay settings specifically for developers under networking > background data usage limits. Toggling some of these off may prevent apps from autoplaying media in the background.

While developer options tweak don’t guarantee stopping autoplay, they provide more granular control over app behaviors that may help. Be cautious when changing developer settings as they can impact performance and battery life if not set properly.

Sources:

Autoplay setting is off, but media still starts automatically
byu/stiina22 inAndroidAuto

Additional Tips and Tricks

Here are some other ways to prevent unwanted music from autoplaying when headphones are plugged in:

Use airplane mode – Putting your phone in airplane mode will disable Bluetooth and prevent any autoplay from occurring. You can then selectively turn WiFi and/or Bluetooth back on if needed.

Turn off media volume – Go to your phone’s settings and lower the media volume all the way down. This will mute any autoplay audio.

Disable Bluetooth autoconnect – Go to Bluetooth settings and uncheck the “Autoconnect” box next to paired headphones/audio devices. This means Bluetooth won’t automatically connect when plugged in.

Use wired headphones – Switch to wired headphones without Bluetooth or smartphone controls. These basic headphones don’t trigger autoplay.

Turn off auto-resume – In music/media apps like Spotify, disable any “Auto-resume playback” settings which can autoplay music.

Close background apps – Apps running in the background can trigger autoplay. Completely closing music and audio apps may prevent this.

Check notification settings – Disable notifications for potentially troublesome media apps. This stops notifications from activating autoplay.

Enable Do Not Disturb – Use Do Not Disturb mode to mute notifications and media sounds when not actively using your phone.