Today we are discussing, a new topic: how to allow or block media Autoplay Policy in Microsoft Edge browser using the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. As you all know, Microsoft Edge is a growing browser, and it has a lot of features. It is one of the most important browsers used in organizations.
Microsoft 365 Admin Center is a platform where different kinds of policies are deployed for Microsoft Edge. These policies are very crucial because with these policies, Microsoft Edge can be more secure and enhance productivity. So, let’s discuss how the Autoplay Allowed Policy in Microsoft Edge is used, and what it is.
The Autoplay Allowed Policy controls whether websites can automatically play videos or audio when you open them. If the policy Not configured the browser act on default rules that means muted videos usually play automatically, while unmuted ones need you to click manually.
If autoplay is enabled, all websites can play media freely without needing user action. The Autoplay Allowed Policy is a crucial tool for IT administrators in enterprise environments, helping them manage how websites handle automatic media playback.
Table of Contents
What Happens When the Media Autoplay Policy is Set to Disabled in Microsoft Edge?
When set to Disabled, media autoplay is limited to websites with high media engagement and active WebRTC streams. Users cannot override this setting. In versions of Microsoft Edge prior to version 92, this setting would completely block media autoplay.
How to Allow or Block Media Autoplay Policy in MS Edge Browser
We have discussed a lot about how to enable the Autoplay Allowed Policy in Microsoft Edge using the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. Now, let’s move on to the steps for enabling or disabling the policy. First, you need to sign in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center using your administrator credentials.
Once you have signed in, you will see an option called “Settings” and click on it. After clicking on Settings, you will find Microsoft Edge listed among the available services. Navigate to it and then go to the Configuration Policies section on the right-hand pane.
- Next, click on the + Create Policy option to begin setting up a new policy.
- You can refer to the screenshot below for better guidance.
Navigation path in short: Sign into M365 admin Center> Settings> Microsoft Edge> Configuration Policies > + Create Policy.
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Basics
The first tab is “Basics.” In the Basics tab, you need to enter basic details about the policy, such as the name, description, policy type, and platform. You should focus mainly on the name, as it will help you easily identify the policy in the list of policies later.
- You can also provide a description, which will help you understand the purpose of the policy.
- Set the policy type to Intune and the platform to Windows 10 and 11.
- Then, click Next to proceed.
Add Settings
The next step is Add Settings. After completing the Basics tab, you will be taken to the Settings page. Here, you will see a “+ Add settings” option in blue. You can click either “+ Add settings” or “Add settings” (in blue color) it’s your choice, as both options lead to the same result.
When you click on it, you will be directed to the Settings page, where you can select the specific settings, you want to configure for the policy.
Configure Setting
Now it’s time to configure the settings. First, you need to configure the Autoplay Allowed Policy. To do this, you can either search for the policy name in the search bar or browse through the available categories such as Additional Settings, Application, Guard Settings, etc. In my case, I searched for the policy name and found it in the right pane.
In the right pane, you will see two tabs: “Value” and More Details. In the Value tab, there is a dropdown arrow. When you click on it, you will see the options: Enabled, Disabled.
- I selected the Enabled option, then clicked on Select.
- After that, a notification appeared confirming that the policy was successfully updated.
More Details
Now you are on the More Details tab. The More Details tab is very important, and I recommend never skip this section, as it provides valuable information about the policy. This section explains what happens when the policy is Enabled, Disabled, or Not Configured.
- It helps you understand the impact of the policy settings clearly.
- After reviewing the information carefully, you can close the More detail section.
| Enable | Disable | Not Configured |
|---|---|---|
| Setting to “Enabled” sets media autoplay to “Allow“. All websites are allowed to autoplay media. Users can’t override this policy. | Setting to “Disabled” sets media autoplay to “Limit“. This limits websites that are allowed to autoplay media to webpages with high media engagement and active WebRTC streams. Prior to Microsoft Edge version 92, this would set media autoplay to “Block”. Users can’t override this policy. | The default setting, “Not configured” respects the current media autoplay settings and lets users configure their autoplay settings. |
Extensions
After the More Details section, you will be taken to the Extensions tab. If you want to add any specific extensions to the policy, you can easily do so by clicking on the “+ Add extension” option. However, this section is not mandatory, so in this case, I clicked Next and skipped this section for this policy deployment.
Assignments
The next step is Assignments. The main goal of this policy deployment is to apply the policy to a specific group. The Assignments section allows you to deploy the policy to your chosen group. Here, you can add the specific group to which you want the policy to apply.
- In this example, I selected the group “Test HTMD Policy.” After selecting the group, I received a success message confirming the selection.
- Then, I clicked on Next to proceed.
Finish
Now you are on the Finish tab, which serves as a summary page. Here, you can review all the details you have entered during the policy configuration and deployment process. This includes information from the Basics section, Settings section, Assignments, and more.
- Once you have reviewed everything, click on the “Review + Create” button.
- After that, the policy will be created.
Device and User Check-in Status
After the policy is created, the next step is to check the monitoring status. This is very important because it helps you confirm that the policy has been created and applied successfully. Also, remember that there is an 8-hour waiting period before the policy fully takes effect on the assigned devices.
To check the device and user status, log in to the Intune Admin Center, go to Devices > Configuration , and search for the policy name you created. Once found, you will see the monitoring status, and the screenshot below will show that the policy has succeeded.
Client-Side Verification
Administrators can check policy status on individual devices using Windows Event Viewer. To verify client-side compliance, go to Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > DeviceManagement-Enterprise-Diagnostics-Provider > Admin, and then filter for Event ID 814.
| Policy Details |
|---|
| MDM PolicyManager: Set policy string, Policy: (AutoplayAllowed), Area: (microsoft_edgev78diff~Policy~microsoft_edge), EnrollmentlD requesting merge: (B1E9301C- 8666-412A-BA2F-3BF8A55BFA62), Current User: (S-1-12-1-3449773194-1083384580-749570698- 1797466236), String: (), Enrollment Type: (0x6), Scope: (0x1). |
End User Experiance
If your policy is successful, you can verify the result in your Microsoft Edge settings. First, open Microsoft Edge and click on the 3-dot menu (More options), then select Settings. In the Settings menu, go to Cookies and Site Permissions. Under that, click on All Permissions. There, you will find an option called “Control if audio and video play automatically on sites.”
- You will see that this option is set to “Allowed” and has a lock icon next to it. This lock icon indicates that the setting is managed by your organization, confirming that the policy has been successfully applied for the users.
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Author
Anoop C Nair has been a Microsoft MVP for 10 consecutive years from 2015 onwards. He is a Workplace Solution Architect with more than 22+ years of experience in Workplace technologies. He is a Blogger, Speaker, and Local User Group Community leader. His primary focus is on Device Management technologies like SCCM and Intune. He writes about technologies like Intune, SCCM, Windows, Cloud PC, Windows, Entra, Microsoft Security, Career, etc.