At SmartNews, we're always working to improve your experience in our app. We want to let you know about a change we're making to the autoplay video ads setting.
What's Changing?
Starting with version 24.5.10 (iOS) and 24.5.30 (Android) of the SmartNews app, we're removing the option to turn off autoplay for video ads. This means that all video ads will now autoplay when they're visible on your screen, and will pause when you scroll past them.
Why Are We Making This Change?
We've decided to make this change for a few key reasons:
- Consistency: By having all video ads autoplay when in view, we can provide a more consistent and predictable experience across the app.
- Alignment with Industry Standards: Most apps and websites now use autoplay for video ads. By adopting this approach, we're aligning SmartNews with what users expect based on their experiences in other apps.
- Simplified Experience: Removing the autoplay setting simplifies the app and ensures all users have the same experience, making it easier for us to continue improving SmartNews.
What Does This Mean for You?
If you previously had autoplay video ads turned off (set as “Never” or “Only on Wi-Fi”), you'll now see video ads start to play silently as you scroll to them. The videos will pause when you scroll past them, and you can always tap on a video to unmute it if you're interested in the content.
We believe this change will create a more consistent experience for all our users. We understand that some users may have preferred to keep autoplay off. However, there are limitations from our third-party video ad partners where SmartNews doesn’t have full control to guarantee it not being autoplayed.
Going Forward
We're committed to making SmartNews the best it can be, and we believe this update is a step in that direction. We appreciate your understanding as we work to improve the app experience for everyone.
Thank you for being a valued member of the SmartNews community. If you have any questions, please visit our Help Center or contact our support team directly.