## HTML Audio/Video DOM paused Property
The `paused` property returns a Boolean value indicating whether the audio or video playback is currently paused.
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## Introduction
In HTML5, the `
` and `` elements provide a rich set of properties, methods, and events to control media playback programmatically. The `paused` property is a read-only property that allows developers to check the current playback state of a media element.
This is particularly useful when building custom media player controls, where you need to toggle between "Play" and "Pause" buttons depending on whether the media is currently playing or stopped.
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## Syntax
```javascript
mediaElement.paused
```
### Return Value
* **`true`**: The audio/video is currently paused.
* **`false`**: The audio/video is currently playing.
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## Browser Support
| Feature | Chrome | Edge/IE | Firefox | Safari | Opera |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **`paused` Property** | Yes (All) | Edge (All) / IE 9+ | Yes (All) | Yes (All) | Yes (All) |
*Note: Internet Explorer 8 and earlier versions do not support the `` and `` elements or their associated DOM properties.*
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## Code Examples
### Example 1: Basic Usage (Checking Playback State)
The following example checks if a video is paused and displays the state in an alert box.
```html
Your browser does not support the video tag.
Is the video paused?
```
### Example 2: Creating a Custom Play/Pause Toggle Button
You can use the `paused` property to dynamically toggle playback and update the user interface.
```html
Play
```
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## Technical Considerations
* **Read-Only Property**: The `paused` property is read-only. You cannot set it directly (e.g., `video.paused = false` will not play the video). To change the playback state, you must call the `.play()` or `.pause()` methods.
* **Initial State**: When a media element is first loaded and has not started playing yet, `paused` defaults to `true`.
* **Autoplay**: If the media element has the `autoplay` attribute set, `paused` will evaluate to `false` as soon as the media starts playing automatically.