Keep previews silent
Leave the speaker off, which is how it starts. Previews play without a sound, and nothing jumps out of your speakers or headphones.
Free extension for Chrome
Turn off YouTube preview sound, or set its volume
Hover previews on YouTube sometimes stay silent and sometimes play at the main player's volume. YouTube Preview Volume puts a speaker button on the preview: click for sound on or off, hover for a volume slider.
Add to Chrome — free
Free. No account. No data collected.
Made for Chrome. Other Chromium browsers can install it from the Chrome Web Store.
Try it: drag the slider, click the speaker, or turn the knob
60%
Sound on · 60%
At a glance
- What it does
- Adds a speaker button and a volume slider to YouTube previews: sound on or off, at a volume separate from the main player.
- Who it is for
- People who scroll the YouTube home feed and search results and want previews silent, or at a level they choose.
- Price
- Free. No account.
- Data
- Collects nothing and sends nothing. Your settings stay in the browser's local extension storage.
- Works on
- youtube.com in the browser, wherever YouTube plays hover previews: the home feed and search results.
- Limits
- YouTube's own setting Settings → Playback and performance → Video previews must be on. In a freshly opened tab the browser may hold sound back until you click the page once.
- Version
- 2.7.10, updated October 27, 2026
How it works
-
Hover over a video
A speaker button appears in the top-right corner of the preview, where YouTube puts its own.
-
Click the speaker
Preview sound turns on or off. Your choice stays for every preview that follows.
-
Set the volume
Rest the pointer on the speaker to open the slider, or turn the mouse wheel over it: 5% a step.
Two ways to use it
Hear a few seconds before you click
Turn the speaker on and keep the level low. Previews play quietly, and the watch page keeps the volume you set there.
What it does
Mute previews and keep them muted
One click on the speaker turns preview sound off or on. The choice is remembered for every next preview.
Set how loud previews play
Hover the speaker for a slider. Turn the mouse wheel over it to move the level in 5% steps.
Set the level from the toolbar
The popup has a volume knob: drag it around the ring, use the mouse wheel or the arrow keys.
Start quiet
Out of the box the level is 30% and sound is off, so nothing is heard until you ask for it.
Keep YouTube's own buttons in order
Where YouTube shows its own speaker, on ad previews for example, ours takes its place. The captions (CC) button stays.
Leave the main player alone
The volume of the main video player is never touched. Previews have a level of their own.
Why a YouTube preview plays sound by itself
Rest the pointer on a thumbnail and YouTube plays a short clip. In many accounts these previews stay muted and have no speaker button. In others they suddenly speak up, at the volume of the main player.
Some people want that sound, many don't. YouTube Preview Volume gives the clips a setting of their own: a speaker on the preview, and a level that is independent of the main player.
If previews do nothing at all, check YouTube's own setting: Settings → Playback and performance → Video previews. With it off, YouTube plays no previews, so there is nothing for the extension to adjust. To get rid of previews completely, turn that setting off.
Private by design
No account, no data
Nothing to sign up for. The extension collects no data and sends nothing anywhere.
One permission
Storage, to keep your settings in the browser's local extension storage. It runs only on youtube.com.
Two short pages
On install it opens a welcome page once. On removal it shows a short, optional survey.
YouTube's own controls vs YouTube Preview Volume
| YouTube's own controls vs YouTube Preview Volume | YouTube alone | YouTube Preview Volume |
|---|---|---|
| A speaker button on a preview | Often missing: in many accounts previews have no speaker button | On every hover preview, in the top-right corner |
| A volume for previews only | In some accounts previews play at the main player's volume | A level of their own, 0–100%, starting at 30% |
| Turn previews off completely | Settings → Playback and performance → Video previews | Not its job: previews stay, quietly. Use YouTube's setting for that |
| Price | Built in | Free |
Questions
How do I turn off the sound on YouTube previews?
Add YouTube Preview Volume to Chrome and leave the speaker off, which is how it starts. Previews stay silent. To hear one, click the speaker on it; click again to silence it. The choice is remembered.
Why does a YouTube preview play sound by itself?
In some accounts YouTube plays hover previews with sound, at the main player's volume. The extension keeps sound off until you turn it on, and gives previews a volume of their own.
Why is there no sound on YouTube previews?
In many accounts previews are muted and have no speaker button. With the extension, click the speaker on the preview. If nothing plays right after you open a tab, click the page once: the browser may hold sound back until then.
The sound on YouTube previews is too loud. How do I lower it?
Hover over the speaker on the preview and drag the slider, or turn the mouse wheel over it: 5% a step. The toolbar popup has the same level as a knob from 0 to 100%. It starts at 30%.
How do I turn off video previews on YouTube entirely?
Use YouTube's own setting: Settings → Playback and performance → Video previews. This extension keeps previews and adjusts their sound. With YouTube's setting off there are no previews for it to adjust.
Does it change the volume of my main video?
No. The extension never touches the volume of the main video player. Previews have a level of their own.
How do I switch it off, or use YouTube's own speaker?
The power switch in the popup turns the extension off, and YouTube behaves exactly as before. A second switch hides our button on previews: YouTube's own speaker works again, and the extension remembers what you choose there.
Is it free? Does it collect any data?
It's free, with no account. It collects no data and sends nothing. Settings stay in the browser's local extension storage; the only permission is storage.
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