diff --git a/src/panels/information/phononwidget.h b/src/panels/information/phononwidget.h
--- a/src/panels/information/phononwidget.h
+++ b/src/panels/information/phononwidget.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <QSize>
 #include <QUrl>
 #include <QWidget>
+#include <QTimer>
 
 namespace Phonon
 {
@@ -87,6 +88,7 @@
         Phonon::SeekSlider *m_seekSlider;
         Phonon::AudioOutput *m_audioOutput;
         EmbeddedVideoPlayer *m_videoPlayer;
+        QTimer *m_autoPlayTimer;
 };
 
 #endif // PHONONWIDGET_H
diff --git a/src/panels/information/phononwidget.cpp b/src/panels/information/phononwidget.cpp
--- a/src/panels/information/phononwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/panels/information/phononwidget.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 */
 
 #include "phononwidget.h"
+#include "dolphin_generalsettings.h"
 
 #include <KIconLoader>
 #include <KLocalizedString>
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@
 #include <QShowEvent>
 #include <QToolButton>
 #include <QVBoxLayout>
+#include <QTimer>
 
 class EmbeddedVideoPlayer : public Phonon::VideoWidget
 {
@@ -67,13 +69,22 @@
     m_audioOutput(nullptr),
     m_videoPlayer(nullptr)
 {
+    // timer to start/stop the auto play
+    m_autoPlayTimer = new QTimer(this);
+    m_autoPlayTimer->setSingleShot(true);
+    connect(m_autoPlayTimer, &QTimer::timeout, this, &PhononWidget::play);
 }
 
 void PhononWidget::setUrl(const QUrl &url)
 {
     if (m_url != url) {
         stop(); // emits playingStopped() signal
         m_url = url;
+
+        if (GeneralSettings::autoPlayMediaFiles()) {
+            // TODO move the 1000 ms to a constant or a setting
+            m_autoPlayTimer->start(1000);
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -211,6 +222,9 @@
     if (m_media) {
         m_media->stop();
     }
+    if (m_autoPlayTimer->isActive()) {
+        m_autoPlayTimer->stop();
+    }
 }
 
 void PhononWidget::slotHasVideoChanged(bool hasVideo)
diff --git a/src/settings/dolphin_generalsettings.kcfg b/src/settings/dolphin_generalsettings.kcfg
--- a/src/settings/dolphin_generalsettings.kcfg
+++ b/src/settings/dolphin_generalsettings.kcfg
@@ -109,6 +109,10 @@
             <label>Enlarge Small Previews</label>
             <default>true</default>
         </entry>
+        <entry name="AutoPlayMediaFiles" type="Bool">
+            <label>Play media files automatically while hovering</label>
+            <default>false</default>
+        </entry>
         <entry name="SortingChoice" type="Enum">
             <choices>
                 <choice name="NaturalSorting" />
diff --git a/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.h b/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.h
--- a/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.h
+++ b/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 class QSpinBox;
 class QListView;
 class QModelIndex;
+class QCheckBox;
 
 /**
  * @brief Allows the configuration of file previews.
@@ -61,7 +62,8 @@
     bool m_initialized;
     QListView *m_listView;
     QStringList m_enabledPreviewPlugins;
-    QSpinBox* m_remoteFileSizeBox;
+    QSpinBox *m_remoteFileSizeBox;
+    QCheckBox *m_autoPlayMediaFiles;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.cpp b/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.cpp
--- a/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.cpp
+++ b/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.cpp
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include <QPainter>
 #include <QSortFilterProxyModel>
 #include <QSpinBox>
+#include <QCheckBox>
 
 // default settings
 namespace {
@@ -45,7 +46,8 @@
     m_initialized(false),
     m_listView(nullptr),
     m_enabledPreviewPlugins(),
-    m_remoteFileSizeBox(nullptr)
+    m_remoteFileSizeBox(nullptr),
+    m_autoPlayMediaFiles(nullptr)
 {
     QVBoxLayout* topLayout = new QVBoxLayout(this);
 
@@ -78,14 +80,18 @@
     fileSizeBoxLayout->addWidget(remoteFileSizeLabel, 0, Qt::AlignRight);
     fileSizeBoxLayout->addWidget(m_remoteFileSizeBox);
 
+     m_autoPlayMediaFiles = new QCheckBox(i18nc("@option:check", "Play media files automatically while hovering"), this);
+
     topLayout->addWidget(showPreviewsLabel);
     topLayout->addWidget(m_listView);
     topLayout->addLayout(fileSizeBoxLayout);
+    topLayout->addWidget(m_autoPlayMediaFiles);
 
     loadSettings();
 
     connect(m_listView, &QListView::clicked, this, &PreviewsSettingsPage::changed);
     connect(m_remoteFileSizeBox, static_cast<void(QSpinBox::*)(int)>(&QSpinBox::valueChanged), this, &PreviewsSettingsPage::changed);
+    connect(m_autoPlayMediaFiles, &QCheckBox::toggled, this, &PreviewsSettingsPage::changed);
 }
 
 PreviewsSettingsPage::~PreviewsSettingsPage()
@@ -116,11 +122,16 @@
                             maximumRemoteSize,
                             KConfigBase::Normal | KConfigBase::Global);
     globalConfig.sync();
+
+    GeneralSettings* settings = GeneralSettings::self();
+    settings->setAutoPlayMediaFiles(m_autoPlayMediaFiles->isChecked());
+    settings->save();
 }
 
 void PreviewsSettingsPage::restoreDefaults()
 {
     m_remoteFileSizeBox->setValue(MaxRemotePreviewSize);
+    m_autoPlayMediaFiles->setChecked(false);
 }
 
 void PreviewsSettingsPage::showEvent(QShowEvent* event)
@@ -172,5 +183,7 @@
     const qulonglong maxRemoteByteSize = globalConfig.readEntry("MaximumRemoteSize", defaultRemotePreview);
     const int maxRemoteMByteSize = maxRemoteByteSize / (1024 * 1024);
     m_remoteFileSizeBox->setValue(maxRemoteMByteSize);
+
+    m_autoPlayMediaFiles->setChecked(GeneralSettings::autoPlayMediaFiles());
 }