Muting a YouTube video is simpler than it sounds — there’s no special YouTube setting buried in menus, just the player’s own volume control.
On Desktop (Website)
Click the speaker icon in the bottom-left of the video player, or press M on your keyboard while the video is focused. Click or press again to unmute.
On the Mobile App
Tap the speaker icon on the video player. There’s no separate app-wide mute setting — each video’s audio is controlled through its own player.
Muting Your Whole Device Instead
If you want to mute everything (not just YouTube), use your device’s physical volume/mute controls or system volume mixer rather than looking for a YouTube-specific option — YouTube’s player volume works alongside your device’s overall volume.
Autoplay and Muted Previews
You may notice some videos autoplay muted as a preview when you hover over a thumbnail (on desktop) — this is normal browsing behavior and separate from muting a video you’re actively watching.
Related: See how to turn off the Miniplayer and what a playback error means.
FAQ
Is there a separate YouTube setting to mute videos?
No, just use the player’s speaker icon or press M on the keyboard.
Why do some videos autoplay muted?
That’s a normal preview behavior when hovering over a thumbnail, separate from muting a video you’re watching.