The timer in the built-in Clock app on your iPhone and iPad has a feature called Stop Playing, which will automatically turn off any music, movie, TV show, or video clip that is currently playing. It's perfect for setting your entertainment to turn off at a specific time.

I like to watch Star Trek: The Next Generation while falling asleep. The show is incredibly relaxing and comforting. It's not just the quiet hum of the Enterprise D. The crew tends to talk with a calm demeanor and I feel very relaxed while listening to chatter in Ten Forward. When I fall asleep, I fall asleep hard. It'll be hours later before I realize a show is still auto-playing and I'll have to manually shut it off.

The iPhone and iPad's timer makes it possible to fall asleep watching TV, listening to music, or auto-playing YouTube videos without having to worry about waking up and turning it off. Here's how.

How to set a timer to turn off media on your iPhone and iPad

This works with every app I tested, including Apple's built-in media players and third-party apps like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and more.

Launch the Clock app on your iPhone or iPad. You can also access it from Control Center. Tap Timer in the bottom right corner of the screen. Select a length of time. Tap When Timer Ends. Scroll to the bottom and tap Stop Playing. Tap Set in the upper right corner of the screen.

When the timer ends, whatever you're playing will stop and your device will automatically lock.

How to switch your timer back to a tone so you can hear it go off

Setting your timer to Stop Playing means it goes silent. This is bad news if you later want to set a traditional timer. Your cake will burn if you don't switch back to a tone before using your timer again. I highly recommend making a habit of always switching back to a standard timer in the morning.

Launch the Clock app on your iPhone or iPad. You can also access it from Control Center. Tap Timer in the bottom right corner of the screen. Tap When Timer Ends. Select a tone. Tap Set in the upper right corner of the screen.

With a tone set, you'll actually hear when your timer ends.

Any questions?

Do you have any questions about setting a timer to turn off media you are playing? Let us know in the comments and we'll help you out.