Simple Steps to Play YouTube Videos in Slow Motion

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A step-by-step guide so you can slow down videos you're watching on YouTube
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Saw a wicked dance move on YouTube and you want to copy it? Want to watch someone's reaction frame-by-frame as they play the Scary Maze Game? You're in luck — there are several easy ways to slow down a YouTube video so that you don't miss a single moment.

Slowing Down YouTube Videos

  • Click the gear icon on any YouTube video to access video playback speed settings.
  • Select a slower speed from the "Speed" menu, like 0.5x (half-speed) or 0.25x (quarter-speed).
  • Alternatively, press Shift + < to slow a video down while watching without needing to click through menus.
1

Find the video you want to slow down on YouTube.

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  1. It doesn't matter how you get to it — you can use the search bar, the video's URL, or even find it embedded in an outside web page.
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2

Look for the settings button in the YouTube player.

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  1. You may see a small button that looks like a gear or cog. If you do, click this button.
    • Don't worry if you don't see this. As you'll see below, you can still view YouTube videos in slow motion even if this button doesn't display at first.
3

Select one of the slower options from the "Speed" menu.

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  1. Click the menu next to "Speed" to choose the speed you'd like to play the video at. The two slow-motion options are:
    • 0.5: Will play the video at half speed. The audio track will play as well, but it will be greatly distorted from the slow-motion effect.
    • 0.25: Will play the video at quarter speed. The audio track will not play.
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4

Use the HTML5 player if you don't see the option.

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  1. The most common reason for this is that you are using the default Flash YouTube player rather than the upgraded HTML5 version. To turn on the HTML5 player, visit youtube.com/html5 . If the HTML5 player isn't already enabled, you should see the option to opt in. [1]
5

Use the space bar for a makeshift "frame-by-frame" feature.

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  1. However, this feature has since been removed. However, because the space bar still acts as a play/pause button, you can partially recreate this function.
    • Click the video once to select it. This will also pause it. If it is paused, click it twice.
    • Hit the space bar to play the video. Hit it again to pause. For a "frame-by-frame" effect, hold down the space bar to rapidly switch between play and pause.
    • Set the video to 0.25 speed and use the space bar for the closest thing to frame-by-frame possible with the basic YouTube player.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/html5

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