Open Every YouTube Video in Theater Mode
YouTube forgets theater mode between sessions, so videos go back to the small default view. Previews presses the theater button for you on every video, so the big player is simply how YouTube opens.
Why does YouTube keep going back to the default view?
YouTube has no setting to make theater mode the default. It only remembers your last choice for a while, so after restarting the browser, in a private window, or after clearing cookies, videos open in the default view again and you are back to pressing the theater button or the T key.
How do you make YouTube always open in theater mode?
Turn on Auto Theater Mode in Previews. On every video you open, Previews waits a moment for the player to finish loading and then presses YouTube's own theater button, the same as pressing it yourself.
Because it uses YouTube's button, what you get is YouTube's real theater layout: the wide player, the title and recommendations underneath, and every player control working as usual. It also works when you move from one video to the next without reloading the page.
What if I want the default view for one video?
Press the button or T to leave theater mode and Previews leaves it alone. It only ever turns theater on, and only when a video opens in the default view. If you change the layout while the page is still loading, it skips that video. The next video opens in theater again.
Does it work on live streams?
Yes. It works on any YouTube watch page with a theater button: regular videos, live streams and premieres. For live streams there is a companion setting, Auto Hide Chat, which hides the chat as the stream opens. Shorts have no theater mode, so they are left as they are.
If you use fullscreen with chat, theater mode comes back when you leave it.
| Option | What happens |
|---|---|
| Press the theater button or T | Works for now, and needs doing again whenever YouTube forgets |
| A YouTube setting | There is none for a default layout |
| Previews: Auto Theater Mode | Every video opens in theater, with nothing to press |
How to turn it on
- Install Previews from the Chrome Web Store, Firefox Add-ons, or Edge Add-ons.
- Click the Previews icon in your browser's toolbar and open the YouTube tab.
- In Player, turn on Auto Theater Mode.
- Open or refresh a YouTube video. It switches to theater mode on its own.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a YouTube setting for default theater mode?
No. YouTube remembers the last layout you used for a while, but there is no option to make theater mode the default. Auto Theater Mode does that.
What is the keyboard shortcut for theater mode on YouTube?
Press T while the video player is on screen. It switches between theater mode and the default view.
Does it work on embedded YouTube videos?
No. Theater mode only exists on YouTube's own watch pages, so videos embedded on other sites are not affected.
Does it work on Firefox?
Yes. Previews is available on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Chromium browsers such as Brave and Opera.