Twitter will now automatically play videos

Twitter will now allow videos in its iOS app and on its website to automatically play in users’ timelines. The company announced this on Tuesday. With the adjustment, Twitter follows Facebook, among others.

Twitter reports in a blog post that the adjustment is in line with other changes that should make it easier to view images. For example, the American internet company already limited the number of actions before a video could be played. It also introduced a native camera and showed Vines and videos directly in users’ timelines.

With the update, videos, Vines and GIFs will automatically play as soon as users see them appear in status updates. There is no sound, because you have to tap on the video itself first. The automatic playback of moving images also only happens in the iOS app and on the Twitter website. An update for the Android app will follow shortly. It is not clear whether the functionality will come to Windows Phone and BlackBerry.

Twitter follows with the adjustment, among others, Facebook, which in 2013 already let videos automatically play on the timelines of its users. However, the tech company emphasizes that it remains possible to disable the option both in the app and on the site in the settings menu.