A YouTube tutorial that moves too fast is hard to follow. You can slow down the tricky parts using the player’s speed controls on your computer, phone or a supported TV. You don’t need YouTube Premium for the regular speed menu.
Slow down a video on the YouTube website
On a computer, start with the video player’s built-in speed menu. There’s nothing to install.
Open the video you want to watch. Move your pointer over the player to reveal its controls. Click Settings. Choose Speed.
Select a rate below 1×. The lower the number, the slower the playback.
Change playback speed on Android, iPhone or iPad
The YouTube app uses the same steps on all three devices. Look for Playback speed, the mobile version of the website’s Speed menu.
Open a video in the YouTube app. Tap the video to reveal its controls. Tap Settings.
Open Playback speed. Select a rate below 1×. If you can’t access the app’s speed controls, open the video on a computer and choose a rate below 1× under Settings > Speed.
Fine-tune the pace with smaller adjustments
Need a smaller change? YouTube offers speed adjustments in 0.05 increments in interfaces that include the fine-adjustment control.
Open Settings > Speed on the desktop website, or Settings > Playback speed in the mobile app. Use the fine-adjustment control to lower the rate in 0.05 increments until it is below 1×. If that control isn’t in your menu, select one of the listed rates below 1×.
YouTube confirms the adjustment size but does not provide a complete list of devices with this control. A TV or streaming device with a speed menu may not offer the same fine adjustments.
Use keyboard shortcuts for closer inspection
Click the video player on your computer to give it keyboard focus. Press < to reduce playback speed. On a US keyboard, use Shift + comma; on another layout, use its key combination for <. Repeat the shortcut to slow the video further.
For frame-by-frame inspection, pause the video. Press the period key to advance one frame. Press the comma key to move back one frame.
Use frame stepping to inspect individual images manually and the speed shortcut for continuous slow playback. Keep the video paused while moving between frames. Each press moves one frame in the selected direction, so you control the inspection manually.
Check your TV’s speed controls
Some smart TVs and streaming devices don’t support YouTube’s speed controls, leaving you without a speed menu. On a supported device, use your remote to select Settings on the video’s watch page. Choose Speed. Select a rate below 1×.
YouTube does not provide a comprehensive list of supported TV models. These steps apply to supported YouTube apps on TVs and streaming devices.
If your device has no speed control, open the video on your phone or computer. On your phone, select a rate below 1× under Settings > Playback speed; on your computer, use Settings > Speed.
Use Firefox’s native video menu
Desktop Firefox offers another route when its native media context menu is accessible on the YouTube video. Hold Shift while right-clicking the video to expose Firefox’s native context menu. Alternatively, right-click the video twice to access that menu.
Select Speed in Firefox’s menu. Choose 0.5× to slow the video to half its normal playback rate.
Look for Speed in the current Firefox menu. Older instructions may call it Play Speed, but Mozilla’s current menu wording uses Speed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are YouTube’s On-the-go controls?
On-the-go is a separate YouTube Premium feature in the Android app, with controls that work while the phone is locked or unlocked. To use it, open a video while signed into your Premium account, tap Settings > On-the-go, then use the video-speed icon to reduce the rate.
Can YouTube’s Auto speed make a video play in slow motion?
No. Auto speed has a minimum baseline of 1.0×. To slow a video below normal speed, choose a lower rate manually in Playback speed.
Does holding a YouTube Short slow it down?
No. YouTube’s hold gesture for Shorts activates 2× playback, which speeds up the video.