Published October 21, 2026

WCAG 1.4.2 Audio Control, Level A

Does WCAG require a way to stop autoplay audio?

Yes. Success criterion 1.4.2 Audio Control is Level A, so it is also required at Level AA. If any audio on a page plays automatically for more than three seconds, there must be a mechanism to pause or stop it, or a mechanism to control the audio volume independently of the overall system volume. The text is in the W3C WCAG 2.2 Recommendation.

What counts as audio that plays automatically?

Sound that starts without the person pressing play. A background track, a video set to autoplay with sound, and a splash page that starts narration all count. The W3C explanation is in Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.2. The criterion applies to all content on the page, because sound the person did not start can cover the voice of a screen reader. Captions and transcripts are a different set of rules, covered on the video and audio page.

When is a pause control not required?

When the sound turns itself off within three seconds. That is technique G60. A clip that keeps going past three seconds needs a control. A sufficient approach is a control near the beginning of the page that turns the sound off, documented as technique G170. Playing sound only after the person asks for it also meets the criterion. Sound that lasts more than three seconds with no way to turn it off is failure F23. The control has to be reachable from the keyboard, covered on the keyboard access page.

Does the system volume count?

No. Turning down the computer, the phone, or the browser is the overall system volume. The criterion allows a volume control only when it is separate from that. A mute or volume control on the page, or on the media player, can meet 1.4.2. A page that relies on the person to find the system volume does not.

How is this different from pausing animation?

Success criterion 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide is about moving, blinking, scrolling, and auto-updating visual content that lasts more than five seconds. It is not the audio rule. A silent carousel is 2.2.2. A soundtrack that starts by itself is 1.4.2. A video that plays beside other content, with sound, can fail both. Pausing animation is covered on the pause animation page. A scanner often misses audio that starts after the page loads. A person has to listen, which is why a passing score is not conformance, as covered on the scanner page.

Does the Title II web rule include audio control?

Yes. The Department of Justice rule for state and local government websites names WCAG 2.1 Level AA. That level includes 1.4.2, which is Level A. Governments with a population of 50,000 or more have until April 26, 2027. Smaller governments and special districts have until April 26, 2028. Who must comply is on the Title II web rule page. Turning off autoplay, or adding a pause control at the start of the page, is remediation.