Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET

Just what we needed, an easier way to enter the YouTube vortex where you arrive innocently with the intent to watch a video or two for a quick break only to find yourself an hour later jumping from one related video to the next. YouTube has added an autoplay feature that automatically begins a new video after the current video ends. Learn how to disable the feature if you'd like to maintain your defenses against the time-sucking YouTube vortex.

To disable the feature, click the blue Autoplay slider switch that sits at the top of the right-hand column of Up Next videos. It's that easy, and when I turned it off, YouTube remembered I did so after both browser and system restarts.

You can also keep autoplay enabled and stop the next video from starting when your current video ends. The autoplay feature loads the next video but gives you a few seconds before it starts to play. During those few seconds, click Cancel to stop the proceedings.

It appears that YouTube added autoplay only to its desktop site. Its mobile apps do not appear to have received the feature.

It's been a YouTube-centric week here at CNET How To. Learn about YouTube's new interactive cards and also find out 3 ways to turn off YouTube's annotations and cards.

(Via AddictiveTips)