Animation: play() method

Baseline Widely available

This feature is well established and works across many devices and browser versions. It’s been available across browsers since March 2020.

The play() method of the Web Animations API's Animation Interface starts or resumes playing of an animation. If the animation is finished, calling play() restarts the animation, playing it from the beginning.

Syntax

js
play()

Parameters

None.

Return value

None (undefined).

Examples

In the Growing/Shrinking Alice Game example, clicking or tapping the cake causes Alice's growing animation (aliceChange) to play forward, causing her to get bigger, as well as triggering the cake's animation. Two Animation.play()s, one EventListener:

js
// The cake has its own animation:
const nommingCake = document
  .getElementById("eat-me_sprite")
  .animate(
    [{ transform: "translateY(0)" }, { transform: "translateY(-80%)" }],
    {
      fill: "forwards",
      easing: "steps(4, end)",
      duration: aliceChange.effect.timing.duration / 2,
    },
  );

// Pause the cake's animation so it doesn't play immediately.
nommingCake.pause();

// This function will play when ever a user clicks or taps
const growAlice = () => {
  // Play Alice's animation.
  aliceChange.play();

  // Play the cake's animation.
  nommingCake.play();
};

// When a user holds their mouse down or taps, call growAlice to make all the animations play.
cake.addEventListener("mousedown", growAlice);
cake.addEventListener("touchstart", growAlice);

Specifications

Specification
Web Animations
# dom-animation-play

Browser compatibility

desktop mobile
Chrome
Edge
Firefox
Opera
Safari
Chrome Android
Firefox for Android
Opera Android
Safari on iOS
Samsung Internet
WebView Android
WebView on iOS
play
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 75 (Release date: 2019-06-04)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 79 (Release date: 2020-01-15)
footnote Full support
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 48 (Release date: 2016-08-02)
footnote Full support
Opera – Full support
Opera 62 (Release date: 2019-06-27)
footnote Full support
Safari – Full support
Safari 13.1 (Release date: 2020-03-24)
footnote Full support
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 75 (Release date: 2019-06-04)
footnote Full support
Firefox for Android – Full support
Firefox for Android 48 (Release date: 2016-08-02)
footnote Full support
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 54 (Release date: 2019-10-18)
footnote Full support
Safari on iOS – Full support
Safari on iOS 13.4 (Release date: 2020-03-24)
footnote Full support
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 11 (Release date: 2019-12-05)
footnote Full support
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 75 (Release date: 2019-06-04)
footnote Full support
WebView on iOS – Full support
WebView on iOS 13.4 (Release date: 2020-03-24)
footnote Full support

Legend

Tip: you can click/tap on a cell for more information.

Full support
Full support

See also